Sheikh Huseyn Hilmi Isik an- Naqshbandi(rh) wrote, One of the maladies of the heart is the belief of Bidat

or in other words, one's having the wrong, corrupt and deviated belief. Most of the Muslims suffer very much of this disastrous malady. The reason which leads one into this malady is one's attempt to rationalize or reason in the matters which cannot be sensed through sense organs and which cannot be reached or comprehended through calculations and believing in the things that the reason errs and makes mistakes. EVERY MUSLIM

SHOULD FOLLOW THE TEACHINGS OF EITHER ONE OF THE TWO SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT (MADHHABS) WITH RESPECT TO FAITH, I.E., "MATURIDI" OR "ASH'ARI". FOLLOWING THE TEACHINGS OF ANY ONE OF THEM WILL PROTECT OR SAVE A HUMAN BEING FROM THE MALADY OF INNOVATIONS (BIDAT BELIEF). Because, the
scholars of the "Ahl as-Sunnat" path adhered to the teachings of the Qur'an al-kareem and hadith ash-sharifs when the matters to be decided were beyond the reach of mind. In other words, they utilized their intelligence and wisdom to search, find and understand the meanings included in the Qur'an and Hadiths. They learned these meanings from the companions and in turn they learned them from the prophet Muhammad, (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa sallam), and recorded them in their books.

A person will become a disbeliever if he does not believe or doubts about something which is clearly communicated in the Qur'an or hadith ash-sharifs. Giving wrong meanings to commandments that are not clearly communicated and are doubtful would be "bidat." One becomes an Ahl al-bidat if he belives in his wrong interpretation or understanding. Alternately if one rejects the
commandments by saying such things, "How could this happen! This could not be! My mind does not accept that!", he will become a disbeliever. If one asserts that a prohibited (haram) thing is permissible (halal) and if his statement is based on a verse of the Qur'an or on a hadith, he does not become a disbeliever but he becomes an "Ahl al-bidat." Stating that the election of hadrat Abu Bakr and Hadrat Umar to the post of Caliphate was not right constitutes "bidat." Alternately, going further and stating that they did not have rights to the post of Caliphate constitutes disbelief (Kufr).

Imam Muhammad Shihristani, may Allahu ta'ala be pleased with him, says in his book Milal and Nihal that the scholars of the "Hanafi" school of thought followed the teachings of imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, may Allahu ta'ala be pleased with him, with respect to faith (Itiqad). Because, Abu Mansur al-Maturidi was
following the methodology ("usul" and "furu") of imam Azam Abu Hanifa, may Allahu ta'ala be pleased with him, the founder of the Hanafi school of thought. "Usul" means "Itiqad" belief. "Furu" means "Ahkam al-Shar'iyya" or rules that are based on Islamic laws. The scholars of "Maliki", "Shafi'i" and "Hanbali" schools of thought followed the teachings of imam Abu Hasan al-Ash'ari, may Allahu ta'ala be pleased with him, with respect to faith (Itiqad).Imam Abu

Hasan al-Ash'ari was following the "Shafi'i" school of thought. Imam alSubki, may Allahu ta'ala be pleased with him, who was one of the famous "Shafi'i" scholars says that he has studied the book of Abu

Ja'far Tahawi, may Allahu ta'ala be pleased with

him, who was one of the scholars of the Hanafi school of thought and noticed that it was almost the same as the teachings of the "Ash'ari school of thought in faith. They were departing from each other only in three points. Abdulwahhab Taj-ud-din al-Subki who was the son of

imam abul Hasan Ali Subki, may Allahu ta'ala be pleased with him, says that he has studied the books of the scholars of "Hanafi" school of thought in faith (Itiqad) and noticed that they were in disagreement with respect to "Shafi'i" school of thought in faith in thirteen points. But he says that their disagreements are on minor matters and do not take them out of the correct path. They do not dispute in essential matters. They both are in the correct (Haqq) path. Muhammad
Hadimi, may Allahu ta'ala be pleased with him, in the 317th page of his book Barika says that he has studied the teachings of both "Maturidi" and "Ash'ari" schools of thought in faith and considered even the smallest of their disagreements and came up with 73 differences between the two schools of thought. HizmetBooks 1998