found among the Companions, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned. Yet because it did not conform to the prescribed way, it led them to pass out of the religion.

For this reason, ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd and Ubayy ibn Ka‘b said: “Moderation in following the Sunnah is better than strenuous devotion to an innovation.”

‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib likewise applied this interpretation to them. He fought them at the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) command, and his fighting them was among his greatest good deeds and the campaigns for which he is praised. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) urged fighting them and said: “If I live to encounter them, I will kill them as ‘Ād were killed.”

He also said: “Wherever you encounter them, kill them, for whoever kills them will have a reward with Allah on the Day of Resurrection.”

An authentic report also relates that ‘Alī said: “If those who fight them knew what Muhammad had promised them, they would hold back from further deeds.”