Is the Hadith about the conquest of Constantinople considered an endorsement by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, of the Maturidi and Ash'ari creeds, of the Hanafi school of thought, and of Sufism, on the claim that Mehmet the Conqueror was a Maturidi, Hanafi, and a Sufi?
The hadith praising the conqueror of Constantinople ("What a blessed leader is its leader, and what a blessed army is that army") is disputed in its authenticity. The conquest of Constantinople itself is established, but without the praise for the army and the leader. Some scholars believe that the conquest mentioned in the hadiths has not yet occurred and will take place in the End of Times, before the emergence of the Dajjal (Antichrist). This conquest will be by Arabs, through tasbih (glorification of God), tahlil (declaration of God's oneness), and takbir (exaltation of God), not by the hand of Mehmet the Conqueror. Even if the hadith is authentic and applies to Mehmet the Conqueror's conquest, the praise for him does not indicate the correctness of his Ash'ari or Sufi madhhab (school of thought). Many common people affiliated with these madhhabs hold beliefs consistent with Ahl al-Sunnah, which aligns with the fitra (innate disposition).
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/135963