Fatwa #567530 May 2002United Kingdom
To be a Sunni Muslim, Mr. Sayf ad-Din Ahmed ibn Muhammad of UK, claims that one has to be either Ash'ari or Maturidi. Ahmed ibn Muhammad claims this is the position of Deobandi Ulama-e Haq.
Question
al-Salaamu Alaykum, Dear Respected Mufti Sahib, A person by the name Sayf ad-Din Ahmed ibn Muhammad from London, UK, claims that to be a Muslim one has to be either Ash'ari or Maturidi and he quotes some unknown scholar to support his view. Mufti Sahib, I have never ever heard any scholar saying this or read anywhere that our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw) said that "to be a Muslim, one has to be either Ashari or Maturidi ." This person Sayf ad-Din Ahmed ibn Muhammad claims that this is the position of Deobandi Ulame-Haq. I never read in any books of Ulame-Haq of Deoband that to be a Sunni Muslim one has to be either Ash'ari or Maturidi. It also doesn't make sense. What about scholars like Dhahabi,Mundhiri, Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani, his murid Ibn Qudama al-Maqdisi, Ibn Rajab etc who were not Asharis or Maturidis. What about all those numerous Sufis who were not Ash'ari/Maturidi. Respected Mufti Sahib, can you please shed some light on the claims of Ahmed ibn Muhammad ! May Allah reward you for your good work and for giving the right and accurate answers.
Answer
1. We are not aware of this person, Saifuddin Ahmad ibn Muhammad. Which%0D%0AUlama of Deoband does he claim to have links with? While the Ulama of Haqq%0D%0Ahave serious differences with ibn Taymiyah (RA) on some issues, we do not%0D%0Aregard him as a heretic. He was a great Hanbaliy Aalim.%0D%0A2. From the time the Ulama delved into the finer details of Kalaam, and%0D%0Asplit hairs of issues of Aqaaid, many groups arose. From the Ahlus sunnah%0D%0Awal Jama`, two scholars presented the view of Haqq in these issues. There%0D%0Awere Imaam Abul Hasan al-Ashaari and Imaam Abu Mansoor Maturidi.%0D%0AIn brief, as far as these complext and intricate debates on Kalaam is%0D%0Aconcerned, the view of the Ahlus Sunnah is confined to the schools of these%0D%0Atwo scholars. All other schools of thought are on Baatil. It does not mean%0D%0Athat all those that preceded these two schools were not Muslim, for in the%0D%0Afirst place, these intricate issues were never raised in the former times.%0D%0AFurthermore, a person can be a complete and perfect Mu'min without getting%0D%0Ainvolved in these complex matters. Such was the position of the Sahaaba and%0D%0Amost of the Taabi'een. However, should one wish to enter the arena of these%0D%0Aphilosophical issues, then one has to confine oneself to one of these two%0D%0Aschools, for all the other schools who have taken up a standpoint as far as%0D%0Athese issues are concerned are on Baatil. The Haqq in this arena is confined%0D%0Ato the two schools.%0D%0A%0D%0Aand Allah Ta'ala Knows Best%0D%0A%0D%0AMufti Ebrahim Desai