TERMINOLOGI AHLI SUNNAH WAL JAMAAH: KRONOLOGI PENGISTILAHAN UMUM KEPADA KHUSUS DALAM AKIDAH DAN KONFLIK DALAMAN UMAT ISLAM

Abstract

There will be no other ummah after the Prophet Muhammad SAW until the Day of Judgment. This ummah has been divided into seventy-two sects, of which only one will be saved. The name and characteristics of this saved group are encompassed within several terms: “Ahl al-Sunnah,” “Ana wa Ashabi,” “al-Firqah al-Najiyah,” and “al-Sawad al- ‘Azam,” which later culminated in the term “Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama‘ah.” Various sects have vied for these titles to legitimize their respective movements. This situation witnessed significant confrontations during the era of the salaf al-salih with the Shia, Qadariah, Mu‘tazilah, and Jahmiah, leading to the exclusive association of Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah with the Asha‘irah and Maturidiah schools. In Malaysia, the conflict emerged under the terms kaum tua and kaum muda in the early 19th century. The drafting of the Mufti Enactment (Federal Territories) 2024 revealed the underlying reality of the clash with Wahhabi-Salafi ideologies, which had previously been ambiguous. These groups claimed that the specialization of the Asha‘irah and Maturidiah schools was rigid, narrow, and exclusive. Numerous studies on Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah have been published, discussing methodology, historical context, and the role of the Asha‘irah and Maturidiah schools. However, chronological explanations of how these two schools came to hold a principal position within Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamaah have received less attention. Thus, this historical study explains the association of these two theological schools with Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah. This quantitative research employs content analysis through archival examination and reviews of classical and contemporary Islamic texts as well as scholarly research. The findings of this study affirm and strengthen the understanding and conviction of the Muslim community that the Asha‘irah and Maturidiah schools represent the theological methodology that embodies Islamic tawhid according to the manhaj of the salaf al-salih. The governing authorities must acknowledge and legislate these schools to strengthen Islamic administration systematically.