the Ummah, while those who deny the attributes are condemned by the Book, the Sunnah, and consensus.

To be sure, the early generations did condemn those proponents of likening Allah to creation and of corporealism who affirmed more than what is stated in the Book and the Sunnah. Such condemnation appears in the statements of a number of the early generations—may Allah be pleased with them. They condemned them specifically for the falsehoods they added and for ascribing to Allah Most High qualities from which He is free, as in the false doctrines reported from them. They condemned them for the corporealism they introduced, through which they contravened the Book and the Sunnah. Their statements contained no blanket negation or blanket condemnation of the kind found in the statements of those who deny the attributes.

The Muslims have unanimously acknowledged the right guidance and knowledge of these early scholars and imams whose judgments of praise and blame we have cited. The believers are Allah’s witnesses on His earth, and it is their consensus that carries weight in matters of religion. If, then, they are unanimous on what we have mentioned, that is established by the Book and the Sunnah—unlike the case of those whom the community has disagreed over praising or condemning.

The sixth point: Adopting a doctrine or path other than faith and the Quran as a basis for blame and praise, allegiance and enmity—or adopting an imam other than the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, such that allegiance is accorded unconditionally to those who follow him and enmity is shown unconditionally to those who do not—is the way of misguided innovators. Indeed, it is the way of hypocrites and apostates, even if they also profess belief in the Book and the Messenger. This was what the followers of Musaylimah the Liar did when they claimed to believe in both messengers and both Qurans, and what the Khawārij did when they began testing people and showing them allegiance or enmity