is not among the friends of Allah, exalted is He, whom Allah has commanded us to follow; rather, he is either a disbeliever or steeped in ignorance.

[Statements of Abu Sulayman al-Darani and al-Junayd]

This principle is frequently reiterated by the shaykhs. Shaykh Abu Sulayman al-Darani said, “A subtle notion from among the notions of the folk may arise in my heart, yet I do not accept it unless two witnesses testify to it: the Book and the Sunnah.”

Abu’l-Qasim al-Junayd—may Allah have mercy on him—said, “Our discipline is bound by the Book and the Sunnah. Whoever has not recited the Quran and written down hadith is unfit to speak about our knowledge”—or he said, “he is not to be taken as an exemplar.”

Abu ‘Uthman al-Naysaburi said, “Whoever imposes the Sunnah upon himself, in word and deed, will speak with wisdom; and whoever imposes his whims upon himself, in word and deed, will speak with innovation, for Allah the Exalted says in His Eternal Speech: ‘And if you obey him, you will be guided’ (Q 24:54).”

Abu ‘Amr ibn Nujayd said, “Every spiritual experience that is not witnessed by the Book and the Sunnah is false.”

[The people’s error in following those who oppose the Book and the Sunnah]

Many people go astray at this point: they imagine someone to be a friend of Allah and assume that whatever a friend of Allah says must be accepted and whatever he does must be deferred to—even when it conflicts with the Book and the Sunnah. Thus they side with that person and oppose what Allah sent His Messenger with, which Allah has made obligatory upon all