People of the Interval between Prophets (ahl al-fatrah)
Question: Who are the ahl al-fatrah? Do we still have people who fall under this category in our own time, and what ruling applies to them?

Answer: The ahl al-fatrah are those who live in a period during which the call of any messenger has not reached them and no revealed scripture has come to them. The word fatrah refers to the span between Jesus, peace be upon him, and Muhammad ﷺ. Allah the Exalted says, “People of the Scripture! Our Messenger has now come to you, making things clear to you after a break in the succession of messengers” (5:19).

Thus, a fatrah is a time in which there is neither messenger nor scripture. Included in this ruling are those who, for example, live in complete isolation from the world or far from the Muslims so that the message never reaches them. Concerning them Allah says, “We never punish until We have sent a messenger” (17:15). As for their final judgment, that is left to Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He.

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The Meaning of Sayyid (Leadership)
Question: What does siyādah (being a sayyid) mean? How is it attained, and through what means? Who is considered a sayyid from the nation of Muhammad ﷺ? Please clarify for us; may Allah reward you.

Answer: The word sayyid is used to mean “owner” or “master,” and it is also used to mean the chief or leader of a people, as when the Prophet ﷺ said to the Anṣār, “Stand up for your leader,” referring to Saʿd ibn Muʿādh, may Allah be pleased with him.

As for applying the title sayyid to an individual, the scholars have differed on the matter