our predecessors—may Allah have mercy on them—and for whose sake they turned to the Book and the Sunnah; how our righteous successors followed them in this and turned away from the doctrines introduced by the innovators, through which they came to oppose the Book and the Sunnah; and the pressing need for this that you mentioned. I therefore hastened—may Allah strengthen you—to answer you by providing what they requested. I set out for them a number of principles, accompanied by brief arguments, showing you your correctness in this and the innovators’ error in opposing them and departing from the truth they had shared with them before these innovations; your consequent departure from the scriptural proofs and the proofs the Messenger brought and drew attention to; and your consequent agreement with the line of reasoning of the philosophers, who turn people away from these proofs and deny those brought by the Messengers—may Allah’s blessings be upon them:

Know—may Allah guide you—that what