Allah bless him and grant him peace—and the early generations of the Muslim community, and without themselves understanding their meaning or knowing their implications and consequences.
This results from making statements not established in the revealed texts and turning them into doctrines to which people are called and on which allegiance and hostility are based.
It is established in the authentic collection that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—used to say in his sermon:
“The truest speech is the speech of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The worst matters are those newly introduced, and every innovation is misguidance.”
The religion of the Muslims is therefore founded on following the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Messenger, and what the Muslim community has unanimously agreed upon. These three are foundations protected from error. Whatever the community disputes, they refer back to Allah and the Messenger. No one may set up a person for the community, call others to follow his way, and make it the basis of allegiance and hostility: that position belongs only to the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and that authority to what the community has unanimously agreed upon. Rather, this is the practice of the people of innovation, who set up a person or a statement through which they divide the community, basing allegiance and hostility on that statement or affiliation.
Thus, although the Companions of Allah’s Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and those who followed them in righteousness disagreed over certain rulings, the bond between them remained intact. They referred their disagreements back to Allah and the Messenger. Some reached the truth, so Allah increased their reward and raised their rank. Others erred after striving to discover the truth, so Allah forgave their error, in fulfilment of His saying, Most High:
“Our Lord, do not hold us accountable if we forget or make a mistake.” [al-Baqarah: 286]
This applies whether their error concerned a judgment relating to knowledge or a theoretical judgment concerning a reported matter, such as their disagreements over whether the deceased is punished because his family weeps over him, whether the deceased hears the sound of their sandals, and whether Muhammad saw his Lord.