Opposing the Community Council

Question

Question: Separating from a community (jama‘at) in which there is no Shari‘a defect and creating disagreement and division in it — is this a violation of the command “Follow the great majority” (اتبعوا السواد الأعظم), and does such a person fall under the words “for whoever breaks away breaks away into the Fire” (فإنه من شذ شذ في النار), or not? What is the Shari‘a ta‘zir (discretionary punishment) for such a person?

Answer

The great majority (al-sawad al-a‘zam) in the hadith is not some village or a community council set up by some village headman, such that opposing it would bring the ruling “breaks away into the Fire”. It is another matter that creating disagreement without reason is blameworthy in the Shari‘a.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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