Dr. Abdelkader Bettar, professor of Islamic studies at the Muhammad I University in Oujda, highlighted the interest of Ahl al-Sunnah, which are the vast majority of Ummah following schools of Fiqh, as well as the Maliki Oulema, in the matters of faith on which they took special care. This came in his intervention on the second day of the scientific seminar organized by the section of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Oulema under the title of common religious constants: the foundations of African identity.

On the terms Ahl al-Sunnah and al-Jama’a, Dr. Bettar called the Ummah upon the vast majority of followers of the Sunni jurisprudents who have committed themselves to what is stated in the Qur’aan and Sunnah as basic references in matters of faith citing from which Ahkam in Quran and Akida through quoting several oulema such as Kadi Ayad and some books of Imam Asha’ari.

Moreover, he stated that the term “Ahl al-Sunnah” has evolved over time. It has become known as three Sunni schools that represent the Islamic Ummah: the Ahl al-Hadith school, the Ash’ari school, and the Matrade school. These Sunni schools all adopt the approach of the righteous salaf in the matters of faith, which are unanimously agreed upon by the Sunnis and the community, and the first is the recognition of the general principles of law. He concluded his intervention with reference to the distinction between the truths of faith as solid and fixed assets in the Islamic population which is indicated by the Holy Quran and Sunnah purified, and the views of scientists in the convergence of these truths and interpretation of the interpretations and articles of researchers and Oulema in Islam.

In a nutshell, Doctor Bettar confirmed that the added value of the Ashaari and Matrade school of jurisprudence is the fact that there is no takfir or Tadlim by showing the importance and the historical development of Akida. Professor Bitar also mention the difference between Salaf which refers to the scholars and Oulema of the first centuries and Khalaf referring the ones coming after the first century; which were developed to schools of jurisprudence such as Maliki and Asha ari.