they should have any choice in their affair.” (1)

This shows that whenever Allah and His Messenger (2) have established—concerning any given matter—either a prescriptive ruling or an informative statement, no one is entitled to choose for himself something other than that ruling and then adopt it. Such a course of action is not permitted for any believing man [or believing woman] (3) whatsoever; hence it follows that doing so is incompatible with faith. (4)

Al-Shāfiʿī—may Allah have mercy on him—reported the consensus of the Companions, the Successors, and those who came after them that once a Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ becomes clear to a person, he may not abandon it for anyone else’s opinion. (5)

None of the leading Imams of Islam entertains the slightest doubt (6) about the soundness of what al-Shāfiʿī stated. (7) For the binding proof that all of creation must follow is the word of the one who is protected from error and “does not speak from [his own] desire,” whereas the opinions