that bear it.” Ibn Masūd—may Allah be pleased with him—said, “Learn the Quran and recite it, for you will receive ten good deeds for every letter. The Sunnah contains many reports concerning what we have mentioned. Praise be to Allah.”

Muhammad ibn al-Husayn said: Muslims should fear Allah Most High, learn the Quran, and learn its rulings. They should regard as lawful what it declares lawful, regard as forbidden what it declares forbidden, act upon its unequivocal passages, believe in its ambiguous passages, and refrain from disputing about it. They must know that it is the speech of Allah Most High and is uncreated.

If a Jahmite confronts them and says, “It is created,” or says, “The Quran is the speech of Allah,” but goes no further; or says, “My utterance of the Quran is created”; or says, “This Quran is a reproduction of what is in the Preserved Tablet,” then the ruling concerning him is that he must be shunned and not spoken to, prayer must not be performed behind him, and people must be warned against him.

Thereafter, you must adhere to the Sunnah transmitted from the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—the practices of his Companions—may Allah Most High be pleased with them—the statements of the Followers, and the teachings of the imams of the Muslims, while abandoning wrangling, contentiousness, and disputation in religion. For whoever follows this path, I hope for every good from Allah Most High.

I shall next set out, point by point, the knowledge of faith and the law of Islam that anyone whose doctrine and knowledge are as described, and who acts upon them, cannot do without. Allah grants success in every right course and gives aid in following it, if Allah wills. There is no might or power except through Allah, the Most High, the Most Great.