Commentary on Sunan Ibn Majah 3950

Ibn Majah reports in his Sunan:

حَدَّثَنَا الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ الدِّمَشْقِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعَانُ بْنُ رِفَاعَةَ السَّلاَمِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو خَلَفٍ الأَعْمَى، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَقُولُ ‏ “‏ إِنَّ أُمَّتِي لَنْ تَجْتَمِعَ عَلَى ضَلاَلَةٍ فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمُ اخْتِلاَفًا فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالسَّوَادِ الأَعْظَمِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

Anas bin Malik said:

“I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘My nation will not unite on misguidance, so if you see them differing, follow the great majority.’”

Commentary:

It could be said that it’s weak due to the presence of Abu Khalaf Al A’ma who is Matruk.

• Yahya b. Ma’een labelled him a liar.
• Abu Hatim said he is Munkar Al Hadith.
• Al Dhahabi said he is Layyin.

Similarly, Mu’aan b. Rifa’ah is Layyin Al Hadith and some have weakened him.

But assuming it’s authenticity, how do we understand it?

To understand this, we need to first note that there are many Hadith that have come which encourage sticking with the Jama’ah.

If we understand what is the Jama’ah, we’ll understand what is Al Sawad Al A’tham.

It also must be noted that something being the truth is not known by the number of people following that something.

Rather, it’s known by the evidence! 

Otherwise, Islam would not be true since most of humanity does not believe in it.

Let’s reflect upon these verses [12:103] [6:116] and [5:100]

وَمَآ أَكْثَرُ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ 

And most people will not believe—no matter how keen you are—

وَإِن تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَخْرُصُونَ

˹O Prophet!˺ If you were to obey most of those on earth, they would lead you away from Allah’s Way. They follow nothing but assumptions and do nothing but lie.

قُل لَّا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْخَبِيثُ وَٱلطَّيِّبُ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ كَثْرَةُ ٱلْخَبِيثِ ۚ فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ يَـٰٓأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ 

Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Good and evil are not equal, though you may be dazzled by the abundance of evil. So be mindful of Allah, O  people of reason, so you may be successful.”

he Shar’i intent behind the term Jama’ah in those Ahadith is the early Jama’ah before the people changed.

And this Jama’ah is characterised by the Prophetic statement (Jami’ al Tirmidhi 2641):

“What I and my companions are upon”

And they are the people of Fiqh, Hadith & ‘Ilm and were upon the truth!

When Ibn Al Mubarak was asked who is the Jama’ah, he replied:

“Abu Bakr and ‘Umar”

When it was said that they’re dead, he replied:

“Then Fulan and Fulan”

Until he said:

“Abu Hamza Al Sukkari is a Jama’ah”

The intent here is that these individuals mentioned are representatives of that truth that the Prophet ﷺ and his companions were upon.

And so abiding by the truth they were upon will ensure you are upon the Jama’ah even if everyone else is not abiding by it.

Ibn Mas’ud said:

“The Jama’ah is what is in line with the truth even if you are alone”

Nu’aym b. Hammaad said:

“If the Jama’ah becomes corrupt, then be upon what the Jama’ah was before they became corrupt, even if you’re alone. For you are in that instant the Jama’ah”

Al Awza’i said:

“Be upon the path of those who preceded [the Salaf], even if the people refuse you [because of you undertaking this path]”

And with this it becomes clear that just because a people claim to be a majority, it doesn’t validate their beliefs or render it truth, especially in matters related to Usul Al Din, as Al Juwayni mentioned:

“There is no reliance upon the “Sawad Al A’tham” in matters of creed. For the “Sawad” of the disbelievers is greater than our “Sawad”. And the Prophet ﷺ and his companions at the beginning of islam were a small minority, few in number. So the meaning of following the “Sawad Al A’tham” does not mean following in matters of creed.”

And Allah knows Best!