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Imaam Abu al-Hasan al-As'haree, rahimahullah, says in his tremendous book "al-Ibaanah 'an Usul ad-Diyaanah": "Chapter on the clarification of the opinion of the people of the truth and the sunnah." "If anybody says to us, "You have denied the beliefs of the Mu'tazilah, the Qadariyyah, the Jahmiyyahh, the Haruriyyah the Raafidhah and the Murji'ah; now let us know the beliefs you hold and the religion you follow," the answer is: The belief we hold and the religion we follow consists of: Holding fast to the book of our Lord, to the Sunnah of our Prophet, and the traditions related on the authority of the Companions and the Successors and the Imaams of hadeeth - to that we hold firmly."

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And Imaam Ibn Battah al-'Akbaree, rahimahullah, says in the beginning of the second chapter of his book "Ascharh wa al-Ibaanah 'an Usul as-Sunnah wa ad-Diyaanah": And we will now mention the explanation of the sunnah and its description, and what it is, and that, if the servant holds firm to it and takes it as his religion, he is called by it (the sunnah) and that he deserves to enter the ranks of its people. And that, if he contradicts it, he enters the ranks of those who are critizised and mentioned and of whom we have warned, of the people of Bida, who differ from the truth. That, on which explanation the people of Islaam and the whole ummah agreed upon, since Allah sent his prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam up to our time.

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Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal, rahimahullah, says in his book "Usul as-Sunnah": "The Fundamental Prindples of the Sunnah with us are: Holding fast to what the Companions of the Messenger of Allah were upon. Taking them [and their way] as a model to be followed. The abandonment of innovations and every innovation is misguidance. The abandonment of controversies. The abandonment of sitting with the people of Ahwaa (desires)."

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And Imaam Abu Muhammad al-Hasan bin 'Ali bin Chalaf al-Barbahaaree, rahimahullah, says at the beginning of his book "Scharh as-Sunnah": "Know that Islaam is the Sunnah, and the Sunnah is Islaam and one of them cannot be established without the other. From the Sunnah is clinging to the Jamaa'ah. Whoever desires other than the Jamaa'ah and departs from it then he has thrown off the yoke of Islaam from his neck and he is astray, leading others astray. The foundation upon which the Jamaa'ah is built is the Companions of Muhammad May Allaah's Mercy be upon them all. They are Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah, so whoever does not take from them has gone astray and innovated and every innovation is misguidance, and misguidance and its People are in the Fire."

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And Shaykh Saalih bin Fawzaan al-Fawzaan, may Allah preserve him, was asked: "Is [entry into] Paradise and Hellfire dependent upon the correctness of ones Manhaj (methodology)?" His reply: "Yes. When a person's manhaj is correct he will be in Paradise. So if he is upon the manhaj of the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) and the manhaj of the Salaf us-Saalih, he will become one of the inhabitants of Paradise by Allaah's permission. And when he travels upon the manhaj of the misguided strayers, he is threatened with the Hellfire." (Question 47 from the book "al-Adschwibah al-mufidah 'an Asilati al-Manaahidsch al-dschadidah", Page 125.)