Hold fast to the Rope of Allah, all together, and be not divided. (Qur’an, 3:103)
Surely, those who have made divisions in their religion and turned into factions, you
have nothing to do with them. Their case rests with Allah; then He will inform them of
what they used to do. (Qur’an, 6:159)
In light of the Divine Word, we recognize that the historical nature of Sunni Islam is a
broad one that proceeds from a shared respect for the Qur’an and Sunnah, a shared
dependence on the interpretations and derivations of the Companions (may Allah be
pleased with them), and a shared respect for the writings of a vast array of scholars who
have been identified by their support for and affiliation with the Sunni Muslims and have
been accepted as the luminaries of Sunni Islam – as broadly defined.
