the fundamentals of the religion and its subsidiary branches.
His ignorance of the second—namely, the inward truths that hearts apprehend—leads him to classify as sound intellectual realities whatever he and his ilk style “rational proofs,” whereas they are in fact mere products of ignorance.
Ignorance of both matters combined leads him to imagine that certain spurious questions and worthless methods belong to the fundamentals of the faith, and to assume that the Messenger failed to set out what believers must hold concerning them. This, regrettably, is the actual state of many groups among the various sects—their most astute thinkers no less than their ordinary adherents.
The fundamentals of the religion are of two kinds:
- Doctrines that must be affirmed—whether solely as belief or as belief coupled with practice—such as the issues of tawḥīd (monotheism), the divine attributes, the decree, prophethood, and the Hereafter; and
- The evidences upon which these doctrines rest.
As for the first category, everything people need to know, believe, and attest to has been set forth by Allah and His Messenger with a clarification so complete that no excuse remains. This ranks among the greatest elements of the manifest proclamation delivered by the Messenger and one of the strongest proofs by which Allah has bound His servants through the messengers who conveyed it.
The Book of Allah—as its words and meanings were transmitted from the Prophet by the Companions and, after them, the Successors—together with the “wisdom,” namely the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, which they likewise conveyed, contain the fullest clarification of what is required, encompassing every obligation and every recommended act.
All praise is due to Allah, who has sent among us a messenger from our own people, reciting His verses to us, purifying us, and teaching us the Book and wisdom—He who perfected the religion for us and completed