He also commanded him and us in several passages to follow what has been revealed to us, rather than anything that contradicts it. He said:

“Alif-Lām-Mīm-Sād.”

“A Book has been sent down to you—so let there be no unease in your heart concerning it—that you may warn through it, and as a reminder to the believers.”

“Follow what has been sent down to you from your Lord, and do not follow any protectors besides Him. How little you take heed!”

He explained the condition of those who inherited the Scripture but went against it, and of those who held firmly to it, saying:

“Then they were succeeded by a generation who inherited the Scripture, taking the fleeting gains of this world and saying, ‘We will be forgiven’”—up to His words:

“As for those who hold firmly to the Scripture and establish prayer, We certainly do not let the reward of those who set things right go to waste.”

He also said:

“And this is a blessed Book which We have sent down, so follow it and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy.”

“Lest you say, ‘The Scripture was sent down only to two groups before us’”—and the following verses.

He said:

“O Prophet, fear Allah and do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.”

“And follow what is revealed to you from your Lord. Indeed, Allah is fully aware of what you do.”

He also said:

“And hold firmly, all together, to the rope of Allah.”

The rope of Allah is His Book, as the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—explained. He also said:

“And follow what is revealed to you, and be patient until Allah judges.”

There are many other such texts in the Quran and Sunnah which the Muslims unanimously agree must be followed. This is something over which the Muslims have not differed as a general principle. Disputes may, however, arise over its details. Sometimes these occur among recognized scholars concerning “matters open to scholarly judgment”; at other times, those disputing concerning it are people ignorant of religion, or hypocrites