And whoever rejects the ruling of the Book is counted among the disbelievers.

This, then, is the sum of what a heart illumined—one of Allah’s chosen friends—needs, and it is the station of those who are firmly grounded in knowledge.

Such a person has in fact repudiated the judgment of the Book, for Allah says: “He is not questioned about what He does” (Q 21:23). Therefore, anyone who rejects the authority of the Book and the Sunnah, objects to them, and prefers unaided reason and speculation, has fallen into disbelief (1), for faith in the Book and the Sunnah are two pillars of iman.

What is required in matters of qadaʾ and qadar is this: believe in destiny and its four levels, affirm in detail what the Book and the Sunnah have conveyed, and do not immerse yourself in arguments or objections. Instead, perform righteous deeds and take the appropriate means.

Those who are firmly rooted—that is, those established in knowledge, possessing solid understanding without doubt or ignorance—believe in divine decree, carry out good works, avoid evil deeds, refrain from prying into any of Allah’s secrets, and neither dispute with Him nor object.