The famous scholar of Spain, the 5th century’s Imam Abu Muhammad Ali Ibn Ahmad Ibn Hazm al-Andalusi (d.456 A.H.) may Allah have mercy on him said:

Ahlus Sunnah, whom we called Ahlul-Haq and their opponents as Ahlul-Batil for indeed they (Ahlus Sunnah) are the Sahaba may Allah be pleased with them, Their followers, the best tabi’een may Allah have mercy on them, then the Ahlul-Hadeeth and whoever followed them from the Fuqahaa through the ages till our day today and whoever followed them from the general people from the lands in the east and west may Allah be merciful with them all.

[Kitabul Fisal fil Milal wal Ahwa wan Nihal (Beirut : Maktaba Khaiatt 1321/1903) with the book of Shaharastani ‘Al-Milal’ 2/113; Kitabul Fisal (Beirut : Darul kutubil ‘ilmiyah, 2nd edn. 1420/1999) 1/371. Quoted by Shaykh Asadullah al-Ghalib]
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