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What is your opinion of a group that claims to follow Sheikh Abd al-Wahhab, and emphasizes secondary issues such as declaring Ash'aris to be disbelievers and those who seek intercession through the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, after his death, and strongly condemns the celebration of the Prophet's birthday, and recognizes no opinion but its own on matters of disagreement, while the questioner believes that the focus should be on the foundational principles and communal obligations that the Ummah has neglected?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The remedy for the weakness of the Ummah lies in correcting the creed and purifying the Sunnah from innovations. When the mujtahids (qualified scholars who can make independent legal interpretations) differ, the truth lies in one statement, and the one who errs is excused and rewarded. A Muslim must follow the evidence without fanatical adherence to a specific Imam, and the great Imams have indeed recommended this. There is no contradiction between adhering to the Sunnah and embracing the means of material progress. The greatest cause for the advancement of Muslims is returning to Allah's methodology in life. Furthermore, one must be wary of rushing to declare a Muslim an infidel.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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