Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj
One of the earliest supporting documents for "ahl as-sunna" derives from the basric scholar Muhammad Ibn Siri (d. 728). His is mentioned in the "Sahih" of Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj quoted with: "Formerly one did not aksed about the Isnad. But when the "fitna" started, one said: 'Name us your informants'. One would then respond to them: if they were Sunnah people, you accept their hadith. But if they are people of the Innovations, the hadith was rejected." G.H.A. Juynboll assumed, the term "fitna" in this statement is not related to the first Civil War (665–661) after murder of ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān, but the second Civil War (680–692) in which the Islamic community was split into four parties (Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, the Umayyads, the Shia under al-Mukhtār ibn Abī ʿUbaid and the Kharijites). The term "ahl sunna" designated in this situation whose, who stayed away from heretic teachings of the different warring parties.