From Ahmad ibn Taymiyya to his brother, the learned Sheikh Badr al-Din—may Allah grant him success in all matters, avert every harm from him, establish for him both worldly and spiritual affairs, and lavish upon him His inward and outward blessings—peace and mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you. We praise Allah on your behalf. He then wrote: As for what follows: Your letter announcing the arrival of the book has reached us, and we praise Allah for the favor by which He has granted you these joyful tidings. Since our departure, we have been the recipients of successive bounties and ever-increasing mercies—blessings that exceed our highest hopes, so that neither words nor letters can fully describe but a fraction of them—while yet more blessings await. It is Allah who will enable us and our fellow believers to express gratitude, and Who will increase us from His bounty. Concerning our stay in Egypt, the good and benefits accruing to the people here and elsewhere, to you and to all Muslims, fully justify our delay in hastening to you. You will come to know that this, too, is among the perfect favors of Allah, for it carries blessings beyond all description. A gathering was held at the al-Mansuriyya school on Thursday—a truly memorable day, by Allah’s mercy, kindness, and grace: prayers were answered in great numbers, praise was offered with heartfelt delight, and hearts united upon that which you cherish and choose—surpassing even what took place in al-Sham and exceeding it in every way—so that for the people of Egypt it became a source of glad tidings and joy, and many jurists and others returned to the Truth. They recognized the limitless favors that Allah has bestowed upon us; the truth was made clear to both the public and the scholars. The group of scholars who arrived on Friday after that declaration were likewise gathered under the best of circumstances by Allah’s decree. Praise be to Allah—by whose bounties all good is perfected; praise be to Allah who unites the hearts of the believers—so multiply your gratitude to Him and praise Him. Cling to whatever unites the hearts of the faithful and brings them close to you, and shun pride and division among the believers. The very foundation of adhering to the Sunnah and the Community is the unity of believers’ hearts, that, as far as possible, no discord or division arises among them. What Allah has accomplished and continues to accomplish in this matter transcends all imagination and the grasp of the keenest intellects; it is among His divine decrees. Praise be to Allah, Lord of all worlds—praise abundant, pure, and blessed, as our Lord loves and is pleased with. Then he sends greetings to the brothers, the sisters, and the companions. In another letter, after praising Allah and sending blessings upon His Prophet ﷺ, he wrote: “As for what follows: Praise be to Allah, who has bestowed upon me tremendous blessings, immense favors, noble bounties, and protection from every feared harm—indeed, the servant is commanded to be more patient in prosperity than in adversity. Allah says: ‘And if We give man a taste of mercy from Us, then remove it from him, indeed he is despairing, ungrateful. And if We give him a taste of favor after hardship touches him, he will surely say, “Bad times have departed from me,” and he exults in pride—except those who are patient and do righteous deeds; for them is forgiveness and a great reward.’ [Hud 11:9–11] You know that in this affair Allah has conferred favors by which His religion is aided, His word exalted, His soldiers assisted, His allies honored, and the community of the Sunnah and the Community strengthened. Meanwhile, the people of innovation and division—by upholding what we have established with you of the Sunnah, and even adding to it—have witnessed the opening of the gates of guidance and victory, the display of proofs, the appearance of the truth to unnumbered multitudes, and the turning of people to the way of the Sunnah and the Community. In parallel, the gates of error and innovation have been shut, the path of Satan has been obliterated, and other mercies have been granted, all of which call for profound gratitude. You know that among the greatest principles encompassing the entire religion is the reconciliation and unity of hearts and the mending of strained relations. Allah says: ‘So fear Allah and set things right among yourselves.’ [Al-Anfal 8:1] He also says: ‘And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided.’ [Al-Imran 3:103] And He says: ‘And do not be like those who became divided and differed after the clear proofs had come to them.’ [Al-Imran 3:105]”