Awesome post!

masalama

The Messenger (s) said: “Allah’s Hand is with the main body (majority).”
Sahih.
Tirmidhi (Sunan, #2166), Ibn Hibban (Sahih, #4577), Nasai (Sunan, #4020) and Hakim (Mustadrak #391).

There are other variants of this hadith, with slightly different wordings. Some are strong, some weak, and the majority of them are well-known (mashur) and accepted.
Al-Sindi, on his commentry on this hadith in Sunan Al-Nasai states that the hadith is telling us:
1) not to isolate ourselves from the majority.
2) nor strive to split up the ummah.
3) anyone who does #1 and #2, and the Muslim ruler has allowed it, then that person should be killed.
3) Allah’s protection and help is with the Muslims when they agree upon a matter.
4) Anyone who tries to cause a split want to remove Allah’s help.

Similarly, Al-Suyuti in his commentry on the same hadith of Sunan Al-Nasai states that Allah’s ‘Hand’ is his protection (i.e. of the Jama’ah of Islam).
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The Messenger (s) said: “Allah does not allow the Ummah of Muhammad to agree on an error.”
Sahih.
Tirmidhi (Sunan, #2167), Hakim (Mustadrak #397)

In Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, the commentry on Sunan Tirmidhi, it is explained that:
1) the Ummah is protected from an agreement on error. The only exception is when the entire ummah becomes Kafir, as a hadith states that the Day of Judgement will come only on the Kuffar.
2) Allah’s ‘Hand’ is His protection.
3) Anyone who escapes the main body (majority) in Aqidah or words or actions, then he has escaped into Hellfire.

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The Messenger (s) said: “Anyone who seperates himself from the jama’ah even the distance of a hand, then he has thrown off the yoke of Islam from his neck, unless he returns.”
Sahih.
Tirmidhi (Sunan, #2863), Abu Dawood (Sunan, #4758), Nasai (Sunan, #4872), Hakim (Mustadrak, #1534), Ahmad (Musnad, #16718, #21050), Abi Ya’la (Musnad, #7203), Bayhaqi (Sunan, #17081), Abdul-Razzaq (Musannaf, #20709) .

In his commentry on the hadith in Sunan Al-Nasai, Suyuti comments that seperating oneself from the jama’ah means violating the limits, laws and orders, and the forbidden things.
The same is stated in the commentry on the hadith of Sunan Tirmidhi, in Tuhfatul-Ahwadhi.

a very informative article. I remember you telling me on the phone akhi that when the scholars have difference of opinion (there is no ijma) then the ulama do not really care since there is division in opinion. Such as hadra etc.. It is very true it is not what you would think if we use our salafi mentality.