However, the minority of them recognize the truth and follow it; as Allah Almighty has said: ﴿فَقَلِيلًا مَا يُؤْمِنُونَ﴾[1], and: ﴿فَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا﴾[2], and: ﴿تَوَلَّوْا إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِنْهُمْ﴾[3], and: ﴿وَمَا آمَنَ مَعَهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ﴾[4], and: ﴿وَقَلِيلٌ مِنَ الْآخِرِينَ﴾[5], and: ﴿وَقَلِيلٌ مِنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُورُ﴾[6]. From here, it is understood that following the majority of people is not justified. It is considered an impediment to knowing because the truth is considered as falsehood whenever it contradicts what they say or do; as Allah Almighty has said: ﴿وَإِنْ تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ﴾[7]; “And if you follow the majority of those on the Earth, they will mislead you from the way of Allah.”

[The Invalidity of Popularity]

From here, it is understood that the popularity of a statement does not mean that it is true, and the prevalence of an action does not prove that it is correct. Similarly, the lack of popularity of a statement and the lack of prevalence of an action do not indicate that they are incorrect; considering that the incorrectness of what the majority of people say and do is possible and even common. However, many Muslims have taken what the majority of them say and do as a model for what they themselves say and do, and they have been influenced by it, knowingly or unknowingly. Rather, most of them have adopted their beliefs and deeds from the majority in their societies and have no reason for this other than imitating them; to the extent that any of them who was born among the Hanafis has become a Hanafi, any of them who was born among the Malikis has become a Maliki, any of them who was born among the Shafi‘is has become a Shafi‘i, any of them who was born among the Hanbalis has become a Hanbali, and any of them who was born among the Shias has become a Shia, and in this way, each has followed the prevailing sect in his environment,