whether that conformity or divergence pertains to the very deed itself or to the mere fact that we share it with them. This, more often than not, is the basis for the acts of agreement and disagreement that we have been commanded to observe(1) or forbidden to observe(2). One must therefore be alert to this point, for only through it can we grasp the meaning of God’s prohibition against following them and aligning ourselves with them, both in an unrestricted sense and in specific cases.

Know, then, that the Qur’an’s indication of particular actions and their details comes only by way of summary, general principles, or necessary implication; it is the Sunnah that interprets the Qur’an, clarifies it, points to it, and gives voice to it.

Evidence from the Qur’an for the prohibition of imitating the unbelievers:

We shall cite from the Book those verses that, in broad terms, establish this foundational rule, and then follow them with the elucidating hadiths that appear within or after these verses. God the Exalted says:

“Indeed, We gave the Children of Israel the Scripture, authority, and prophethood; We provided them with wholesome things and favored them above all peoples. We granted them clear proofs concerning matters of faith, yet they did not differ until after knowledge had come to them, out of mutual envy. Surely your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection regarding that over which they differed. Then We set you, O Muhammad, upon a way of life ordained for you; so follow it, and do not follow the whims of those who lack knowledge.” (al-Jāthiyah 45:16–18)