—that is, in the sense intended by the One who uttered them—just as it is related from Imam Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi‘i, may Allah have mercy on him, that he said: “I believe in whatever has come from Allah according to Allah’s intent, and I believe in whatever has come from the Messenger of Allah according to the Messenger of Allah’s intent.”
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This is a straight course and a sound, wholesome statement; its adherent is exposed to no danger, blame, or harm. What it requires of him is simply faith in the very wording of the Book and the Sunnah, and that is an obligation upon all of Allah’s creation. Whoever rejects a single, unanimously accepted word from the Book of Allah has—by the consensus of the Muslims—fallen into disbelief. As for keeping silent about an interpretation whose correctness he does not know, that silence is likewise obligatory, proven by the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and scholarly consensus; and even if it were not obligatory, it would still be unquestionably permissible.
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This approach also represents following the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, emulating those firmly grounded in knowledge, and treading the path of the righteous predecessors—the Companions, their Followers, and the approved Imams. It safeguards a person from saying about Allah what he does not know, from offering personal opinions about the Book of Allah or the description of his Lord, from attributing to Allah what He has not attributed to Himself nor what His Messenger has attributed to Him, and from denying Him an attribute He has approved for Himself and His Messenger has approved for Him.
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Thus—praise be to Allah—it is evident that adopting this commendable path and avoiding all others is obligatory. Indeed, it is the straight path of Allah that He has commanded us to follow, whereas everything else is a by-way of Satan that Allah, Exalted is He, has forbidden us to pursue. He then reinforced this with His counsel following His command and prohibition, saying: “Indeed, this is My straight path—so follow it, and do not follow other ways, lest they lead you away from His path. That is what He enjoins upon you so that you may be God-fearing.” (al-Anʿam 6:153).