How can we define and categorize Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat in modern times?
Especially when a lot of groups who do not adhere to the principles of Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat label themselves as Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat.
Is there a clear and agreed way to differentiate these groups from the actual Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat?
That is a big part of the journey that each and every individual Muslim must take, which is to do his very best to follow Allah's way.
Each and every group will (naturally) label itself as the most correct way of doing things, and only Allah knows which one of them really is 100% on the right path. So basically no one can tell you what the real righteous path is. It's up to you, and to each individual Muslim, to choose their own path. See this hadith:
Hudhaifah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:
"Do not let yourselves be 'yes-men', saying: 'If the people are good then we will be good, and if they are wrong then we will be wrong.'Rather, make up your own minds, if the people are good then you are good, and if they are evil, then do not behave unjustly." (Hasan)
So it's clear from the above command and that you're not supposed to go out and find a group and just follow them. Learn Islam to the best of your ability, read and listen to what various scholars say, and then follow the path that looks like the right one. Yes, you may err. None of us are perfect and we are all sinners. All that we can do is do our best, and to repent once we learn that what we did was wrong.
Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatahu,
The path of muhammad sallalahu alaihiwasallam, the path of shahaba, the path of tabayi, the path of tabetabayi and the path of auliya Allah, so this is silsila of auliya Allah, so find them or find find folowers of auliya Allah then only u will get ALLAH or otherwise their are many sect who says that we r on corrct path so donot go to them, do not look at their beards and cap, donot look at their salah and fastings, they will be thrown in hell, so I made it very simple that find the auliya or his folowers. And this jamaat from Muhammad sallalhualaihi wasallam to auliya is the biggesy jamat, so b on this side,
