29 Core Beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah from Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal

In this comprehensive writing, the principles of Sunnah (the fundamental beliefs and views of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah) as stated by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, are presented, which were narrated by Abdus bin Malik al-Attar, may Allah have mercy on him. Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned these essential principles of Sunnah very concisely, adherence to which is necessary for Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah. They are presented below under headings in a comprehensive manner. References are also included.

1) Firmly adhering to the way of the Noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, says that according to us, the principles of the Sunnah are that whatever the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, were upon, that should be adhered to and followed.

2) Avoidance of Innovations

Abandoning innovations is the true requirement of the Sunnah, because every innovation is misguidance. That is why Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, strongly emphasized abandoning innovations and staying away from those who hold them:

• Debate and argument with people of innovation should also be abandoned.
• Association and socializing with them should also be abandoned.
• Disputes, quarrels, and unnecessary debates in religion should be left.

3) Following the traces of the Prophet ﷺ and their status

Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, described the Sunnah as “the traces of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ” which are the interpretation of the Holy Quran. Therefore, the Sunnah alone guides in understanding the true meaning of the Quran. He clarified that analogical reasoning (Qiyas) does not apply in the Sunnah, nor are examples given, nor can it be understood by desires or mere intellect. The real task is to follow and abandon the desires of the self.

4) Not denying any attribute from the beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah

Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, states that whoever abandons any one of these principles of the Sunnah in such a way that he neither accepts it nor believes in it, then he does not remain among them (Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah).

5) Belief in Good and Bad Destiny

It is obligatory to believe in both good and bad destiny and to affirm all the ahadith related to this matter. It is not correct to ponder over these ahadith and ask questions like “why?” and “how?”. Simply affirming and believing in them is sufficient, as in the “Hadith of the Truthful and Trustworthy” (Hadith of Ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him) and other similar ahadith.

6) Prohibition of Debates Regarding Destiny, the Vision of Allah on the Day of Resurrection, and the Quran

Unnecessary debate, disputation, or argumentation about destiny, the vision of Allah on the Day of Resurrection, and other such subtle and sensitive topics is disliked and forbidden. The method of the Sunnah is to accept these inherited narrations and reports as they are.

7) The Word of Allah (Quran) is not Created

The belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah is that the Holy Quran is the Word of Allah, it is not created. Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said that the one who stops (halts) on this issue is also an innovator just as the one who claims the Quran is created is an innovator. Therefore, the clear stance of the people of truth is that the Quran is the Word of Allah, not created.

8) The Vision of Allah on the Day of Resurrection

The belief of Ahl al-Sunnah is that on the Day of Resurrection, the believers will be granted the vision of Allah, as is proven by authentic hadiths. That is why Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, says that one should have faith in this belief.

9) The Vision of the Divine Presence during the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) Ascension

Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, states that the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) saw his Lord, and this is authentically proven in the narration. We believe in this narration according to its apparent meaning and consider any debate on it as an innovation.

10) The Scale and Reckoning on the Day of Resurrection

On the Day of Judgment, the weighing of deeds and the accounting of people are all established by authentic hadiths. We affirm these and distance ourselves from those who deny them. We do not argue or debate with them on this issue.

11) Belief in the Pond of Kawthar

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, will have a pond on the Day of Judgment upon which his Ummah will be present. Numerous authentic hadiths have been narrated regarding its vastness. Our belief is that all this, as mentioned, will certainly occur.

12) Belief in the Punishment of the Grave and Munkar and Nakir

Believing in the punishment of the grave, and that the trial of this Ummah will be in their graves. Angels will question them about faith, Islam, the Lord, and the Prophet. It is necessary to believe in this wholeheartedly.

13) Intercession of the Prophet (PBUH) and the People Saved from Hellfire

Belief in the intercession of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is essential. There will be a group who will burn in the fire until they become coal, then they will be taken out and ordered to bathe in a river at the gate of Paradise, after which they will enter Paradise. All these matters are proven by hadiths.

14) The Emergence of the Dajjal and the Descent of Jesus (peace be upon him)

One must believe in the appearance of the False Messiah (Dajjal) and that the word “Kafir” (disbeliever) will be written between his two eyes, as authentic hadiths have been narrated. Similarly, the descent of Jesus (peace be upon him) and his killing of the Dajjal at the gate of Ludd are also proven by hadiths.

15) Faith is the Name of Both Word and Deed

Faith is not merely a verbal declaration but a combination of both word and deed, which increases and decreases. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
“The most perfect believer in terms of faith is the one whose character is best.”

16) Abandoning Prayer is Disbelief

According to Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, abandoning prayer is disbelief. There is no other act among deeds whose abandonment necessarily leads to disbelief, except prayer. Whoever deliberately abandons prayer is a disbeliever, and his killing is permissible.

17) Caliphate and Superiority of the Companions (رضی اللہ عنہم)

• In this Ummah, after the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the most virtuous is Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه, then Umar Farooq رضي الله عنه, then Uthman Ghani رضي الله عنه. We also follow this order.
• After them, there are five companions of the Shura: Ali ibn Abi Talib, Talha, Zubair, Abdur Rahman ibn Awf, Saad ibn Abi Waqqas رضي الله عنهم.
• Imam Ahmad رحمه الله cited the narration of Ibn Umar رضي الله عنه that during the blessed life of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, we used to say: the most virtuous is Abu Bakr, then Umar, then Uthman, then we would remain silent.
• After them are the people of Badr who were Muhajireen, then the people of Badr who were Ansar, and then those who have precedence in religion, they hold virtue.
• If any companion رضي الله عنه saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ even for a moment and was in his company, he is superior to those who came later, even if the later ones perform all good deeds.

18) Obedience to the Imam of the Time

Whoever gains dominance over the caliphate and the majority of the people accept him as the Caliph or Amir al-Mu’minin (even if he came to power by the force of the sword), obedience to him is obligatory. Whether the ruler is righteous or wicked.

19) Jihad and Friday prayers will continue only with the rulers

• Whether the Amir or ruler is righteous or wicked, jihad will continue alongside him until the Day of Judgment.
• The distribution of spoils of war and the establishment of Hudood (Islamic punishments) are also possible only with these rulers; disputing or rebelling against them is not permissible.
• Paying zakat to them remains obligatory.

20) Friday and other prayers

Friday prayers will be established behind every kind of Imam, whether righteous or wicked, and the full two Rak’ahs will be performed. If someone prays behind them and then repeats their prayer individually, he is an innovator and opposing the Sunnah.

21) Prohibition of rebellion and uprising

According to Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, it is not permissible to revolt against Muslim rulers. This is because it is equivalent to breaking the unity of Muslims and contradicting the clear hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Whoever dies while being disobedient to the ruler, his death is like the death of ignorance (Jahiliyyah).

22) Fighting Thieves and Kharijites

It is permissible to fight thieves and Kharijites when they attack life and property. However, if they retreat, ordinary people should not pursue them; this task is only for the rulers. If an attacker is killed while defending oneself, Allah has killed him. And if the defender is killed, he is a martyr, God willing.

23) Persisting in Sin or Repentance

Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, states that based on the actions of any person among the People of the Qiblah, we do not declare them absolutely destined for Paradise or Hell. We hope for Paradise for the righteous and fear Hell for the wicked, but at the same time, we hope for Allah’s mercy.

• If someone dies after committing a sin but before the punishment is carried out or while in a state of sincere repentance, this will serve as their expiation.
• If someone dies without repenting, their matter is left to Allah; He may forgive or punish as He wills.
• However, Allah will not forgive one who dies in disbelief.

24) Proof of Stoning (Rajm)

It is the right to stone a married adulterer when they confess themselves or when testimony is established against them. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Rightly Guided Caliphs (may Allah be pleased with them) also carried out stoning.

25) Insulting the Companions (Sahabah) [may Allah be pleased with them]

Whoever speaks ill of any one of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), or holds enmity against them based on any incident, and mentions their faults, is an innovator (bid’ati) until they sincerely stop showing mercy in their heart for all the Companions and purify their heart in their favor.

26) Major Hypocrisy (Nifaq Akbar) and Minor Hypocrisy (Nifaq Asghar)

The greatest hypocrisy is that a person denies Allah and worships others besides Allah but outwardly expresses Islam. Just as there were some hypocrites during the time of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
In the sayings of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, such as “Whoever has three characteristics is a hypocrite,” etc., the meaning is severity and discipline. We accept them unconditionally, even if we do not know their full details.

27) The apparent meaning of some Ahadith is authoritative

Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, accepted such Ahadith (for example, “Do not return to disbelief after me, fighting and killing each other,” or “If two Muslims draw swords against each other, both the killer and the killed are in Hell,” etc.) exactly as they are, without any interpretation or explanation. Any kind of argument or debate in this regard is prohibited.
References:

• Reference: Bukhari, Book of Faith, Hadith 31
• Reference: Muslim, Book of Tribulations, Hadith 2888
• Reference: Bukhari, Book of Manners, Hadith 6103
• Reference: Muslim, Book of Faith, Hadith 60

28) The existence of Paradise and Hell

Paradise and Hell both exist as creations. The hadiths such as “I entered Paradise and saw a palace,” “I saw Al-Kawthar,” or “I was informed about Paradise” and “I was informed about Hell” are to be believed. Whoever holds the belief that Paradise and Hell have not yet been created denies the Quran and Sunnah.

29) Funeral of the People of Qiblah

If a person from the people of Qiblah dies upon Tawheed (monotheism), the funeral prayer will be offered for him, and prayers for forgiveness will be made, whether he committed major or minor sins. This practice should not be abandoned. His final matter is entrusted to Allah.

Concluding Words

After explaining all these principles, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, praised Allah alone and sent blessings and peace upon the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and his family. These principles of Sunnah are the fundamental beliefs and methodology of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah.

Summary of References

• Reference: Imam Al-Lalakai, Usool I’tiqad Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama’ah, edited by Ahmad bin Hamdan, (1/156)
• Reference: Muhammad bin Abi Ya’la, Tabaqat al-Hanabila, edited by Abdulrahman Al-Othaimeen, (2/166)
• Reference: Hadith mentioned in Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abi Dawood, Sunan Tirmidhi, Musnad Ahmad, etc.
• Reference: Also references from Allama Ibn Taymiyyah, Sheikh Albani, and other Imams

May Allah Almighty keep us steadfast on this straight path of Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama’ah and grant us success in this world and the Hereafter. Ameen.

و الحمد للہ وحدہ، وصلواتہ علی محمدٍ وآلہ وسلم تسلیماً