hadith
742
۞
Imam Ali (AS), when asked to explain the terms: sunna [Prophetic practice], innovation, congregation and division, said, ‘By Allah, the sunna is the tradition of Muhammad (SAWA); innovation is anything that deviates from it; the congregation is the gathering of people who are with the truth, even if they are few in number; and division is the dissention of people who are with falsehood, even if they be many in number.
الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ وقد سُئلَ عن تفسيرِ السُّنّةِ والبِدْعةِ والجَماعةِ والفُرْقةِ ـ: السُّنَّةُ ـ واللّهِ ـ سُنّةُ محمّدٍ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ)، والبِدعَةُ ما فارَقَها، والجَماعةُ ـ واللّهِ ـ مُجامَعَةُ أهلِ الحقِّ وإنْ قَلُّوا، والفُرْقةُ مُجامَعَةُ أهلِ الباطلِ وإنْ كَثُروا .