We say: Allah will bring out of the Fire a people who have been thoroughly scorched, through the intercession of Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—(1).

We believe in the torment of the grave, and we declare that the Pond, the Balance, and the Bridge are realities (2); that resurrection after death is true; and that Allah will assemble His servants at the Place of Standing and call the believers to account.

We hold that faith is words and deeds; it increases and decreases. We accept the authentic narrations (3) on this matter that have reached us from the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—transmitted by trustworthy narrators, each upright narrator receiving it from another until the report terminates with the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

We profess (4) love for the salaf (the early generations) whom Allah (5) chose for the companionship of His Prophet. We laud them with the praise that Allah has bestowed upon them and we regard ourselves as their allies (6).

We say: The imam (7) after the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him; Allah strengthened the religion through him and made it victorious over the apostates. The Muslims advanced him to the caliphate just as the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—had advanced him [to lead the prayer] (8). After him came ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him; then ʿUthman ibn ʿAffan, may Allah illumine his face—those who killed him (9) did so unjustly and in aggression; and finally ʿAli ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him. These, then, are the imams after the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and their caliphate is the caliphate of prophethood.