Yet, despite this, he did not detail the positions of the imams of Islam, the early generations of the Muslim community, and the scholars of hadith; he gave only a general statement. Their detailed statements on this subject, and the reliably established texts they possess concerning it from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and his Companions, are well known to those versed in this field.

Al-Ash‘arī mentioned ten groups, saying: “The Muslims divided into ten groups: the Shī‘ah, the Khawārij, the Murji’ah, the Mu‘tazilah, the Jahmiyyah, the Dirāriyyah, the Husayniyyah—who are the Najjāriyyah—the Bakriyyah, the common people, the scholars of hadith, and the Kullābiyyah, the followers of ‘Abd Allāh ibn Sa‘īd ibn Kullāb al-Qattān.”

It is well known that the imams and early generations of the Muslim community do not belong to any of these