Is a person considered sinful or mistaken in the right of the Messenger, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, if he says that in Islam there is no Sunni or Shia, and that he is a Muslim who abides by the commands of God and the Messenger, citing the noble verse: (And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided)?

The name "Muslim" was chosen by Allah for those who responded to the call of His Prophet, peace be upon him, as stated in the verse: (He named you Muslims before and in this) Al-Hajj/78, and in the Prophet's saying: (Call yourselves by the call of Allah, Who named you; Muslims, Believers, Servants of Allah) Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi.

With the emergence of groups that deviated from the methodology of the Prophet, peace be upon him, Muslims needed to distinguish themselves. So, they described themselves with terms that are beloved in Islam: "Ahl al-Sunnah (definition)" (People of the Sunnah), or "Ahl al-Hadith (definition) wa al-Athar" (People of Hadith and the Narrations), or "Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah" (People of the Sunnah and the Community); because they are the followers of the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his rightly guided Caliphs, and they adhere to what the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his Companions were upon.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, clarified that his Ummah would divide into seventy-three sects, all of which would be in the Fire except one, which is the one that is upon what the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his Companions were upon, and that is the Community (Al-Jama'ah).

Ibn Taymiyyah stated that Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah are those who adhere to pure Islam, free from impurities. Ibn Baz affirmed that there is no harm in calling oneself "Athari" (follower of the narrations) or from "Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah" for someone who is sincere in his reliance on the pure Sunnah and the methodology of the righteous predecessors.

Therefore, a Muslim's attribution to "Ahl al-Sunnah" to distinguish himself from the people of innovation is a correct and legitimate action, especially when there is a need to distinguish statements and beliefs. Nevertheless, loyalty and disavowal should be for Allah and in Allah, and praise and blame should be based on what Allah and His Messenger have praised or blamed, not on names, tribes, or madhhabs.

As for the verse: (And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided) Al Imran/103, the intention is that the rope of Allah is Islam and revelation. Division occurs by abandoning adherence to it. So, whoever adheres to the Qur'an and the Sunnah is holding fast to the rope of Allah, and he is with the praised community promised Paradise.