The Shaykh (حفظه الله) said:[1]
From the foundations of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah in deriving evidence (الاستدلال) is to follow what has come in the Book of Allāḥ or the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allāḥ (صلى الله عليه وسلم), inwardly and outwardly, and to follow what the Companions were upon, the Muhājirīn and the Anṣār in general and the Rightly Guided Caliphs in particular.
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) advised with that in his statement: “Upon you [is to follow] my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs.”[2]
They do not put the speech of anyone among the people ahead of the speech of Allāh and the speech of His Messenger. For this reason they are called “The People of the Book and the Sunnah” (أهل الكتاب والسنة).
And after they take from the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah of His Messenger, they take from what the scholars of the ummah have united upon, and this is the third foundation (i.e. of consensus) which they depend upon after the first two foundations, the Book and the Sunnah.
And as for what people have differed in, they return it back to the Book and the Sunnah, acting upon His, the Exalted’s speech: “And if you disagree among yourselves in anything, then refer it back to Allāh and the Messenger if you truly believe in Allāh and the Last Day. That is a better [course of conduct] and [leads to the] most excellent outcome.” (4:59).
Hence, they do not believe in infallibillity for anyone besides the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم), nor do they show bigotry for the view of anyone until it agrees with the Book and the Sunnah.
They believe that the mujtahid[3] can err and be correct, and they do not permit ijtihād except for the one in whom those conditions well-known to the people of knowledge are fulfilled. And they do not show rejection in the matters of permitted ijtihād. [4]
To them, differing in the issues of ijtihād does not necessitate enmity and separation between them as is done by the bigoted partisans and people of innovation. Rather, they love each other, and have loyalty for each other. They pray behind each other, alongside their difference in some of the subsidiary issues.
This is in opposition to the People of Innovation, for they show enmity, declare others to be misguided or they make takfīr of those who oppose them.
Footnotes
1. In the compilation, “Muḥāḍarāt Fil-ʿAqīdah wal-Daʾwah” (p. 394).2. Reported by Abū Dāwūd and al-Tirmidhī.
3. One who strives to find a ruling from the Book and the Sunnah.
4. They are those matters for which no direct texts can be found in the Book and the Sunnah so the scholars strive to derive a ruling through general principles and analogies based upon any closely related texts.