Question:

Who are Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah (The People of the Sunnah and the Muslim Community)?

Answer:

Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah are those who adhered strictly to the Sunnah, united upon it, and turned away from anything else—neither in matters of creed and knowledge, nor in matters of practice and rulings. They are called Ahl al-Sunnah (the People of the Sunnah) because they hold fast to it, and they are called Ahl al-Jama’ah (the People of the Muslim Community) because they are united upon it.

If you examine the conditions of Ahl al-Bid’ah (the people of innovation), you will find them divided and at variance regarding their methodological creed or practical approach, which indicates that they are distant from the Sunnah in direct proportion to the innovations they have introduced.