against much of what is affirmed by Islam’s two foundations: the testimony that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Yet many people do not realize this, just as many do not know the true nature of the Qarmatians, because they outwardly profess only allegiance to the family of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Undoubtedly, every believer must hold allegiance to them. Even if the Qarmatians profess certain false Shiite beliefs, these are shared by Shiites who are neither heretics nor hypocrites, but whose ignorance and desires have obscured some of the truth for them.

Likewise, some scholars and rulers who were not heretics or hypocrites agreed with these Jahmiyyah on some of their publicly professed views, but their ignorance and desires concealed from them these people’s grievous hypocrisy. Allah Most High said, describing the hypocrites:

“Had they gone forth with you, they would not