whereas the true friends of Allah are only those whom He Himself has described as His protégés when He said:

“Indeed, the friends of Allah shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve—those who believed and were ever mindful of Him.”

[What Faith Necessarily Entails]

Faith requires that one believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day. One must affirm every messenger Allah has sent and every book He has revealed, as the Exalted says:

“Say, ‘We believe in Allah, in what has been sent down to us, in what was sent to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, in what Moses and Jesus received, and in what the prophets received from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we submit.’ If they believe in the same as you have believed, they are rightly guided; but if they turn away, they have only plunged into dissension. Allah will suffice you against them, for He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.”

[The Five Essentials]

The Exalted also says:

“The Messenger has believed in what was sent down to him from his Lord, and so have the believers. Each of them believes in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers, saying, ‘We make no distinction between any of His messengers.’ And they say, ‘We hear and obey. Grant us Your forgiveness, our Lord; to You is the final return.’ Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity: it shall have what it has earned and it shall bear what it has brought upon itself. ‘Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or err. Our Lord, do not lay upon us a burden as You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, do not impose upon us what we have no strength to bear; pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are…’