Muslims—or even the greater part of them, Allah forbid—should slip into imitating the unbelievers, this would still not mean that the entire Ummah had perished. Allah, exalted is He, has promised the believers victory, steadfastness, and open adherence to the truth until the Day of Resurrection; His promise is unfailing and irrevocable, just as His decree that some Muslims will follow the ways of others is likewise irrevocable.

When the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him and his family—informed us that his community would follow the paths of those who came before, he did so in the context of forbidding and warning, and of urging the adoption of protective measures: holding fast to the Book of Allah, following the Sunnah of His Messenger, tracing the footsteps of the righteous predecessors, shunning innovation in religion, and avoiding every cause of misguidance and deviation.

In this manner, the author—may Allah have mercy on him—through his sober scholarly style and clear, compelling proofs, has laid bare these two principles and reconciled them, granting the reader insight and clarity. This serves as an essential gateway to understanding the rest of the book’s discussions, all of which revolve around Muslims’ imitation of others, the textual evidence on the matter in both general and specific terms, its effects and consequences, and the means of safeguarding against it.