The people of the Sunnah and the Community therefore believe that sinful Muslims retain some faith and its foundation, but do not possess all the obligatory faith that would entitle them to Paradise. They believe that such Muslims will not remain in the Fire forever. Rather, whoever has a grain’s weight or a mustard seed’s weight of faith in his heart will leave it, and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, has reserved his intercession for those of his community who commit major sins.

Regarding “the Companions of the Messenger of Allah,” may Allah bless him and grant him peace and be pleased with them, they likewise occupy a middle position between two extremes. On one side are those who go to excess concerning ʿAlī, may Allah be pleased with him: they rank him above Abū Bakr and ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with them both, and believe that he alone, unlike those two, is the infallible imam. They believe that the Companions committed injustice and grave sins, and likewise declare the community after them to be unbelievers. Some even regard him as a prophet or a god. On the other side are those who are hostile to him: they consider him and ʿUthmān, may Allah be pleased with them both, unbelievers, and deem it lawful to shed their blood and that of anyone who supports them. They consider it commendable to revile ʿAlī, ʿUthmān, and others like them, and impugn ʿAlī’s caliphate and leadership, may Allah be pleased with him.

Likewise, in all other “matters of the Sunnah,” they occupy a middle position, because they hold firmly to the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and what was agreed upon by the earliest forerunners among the Emigrants and the Helpers and those who followed them in righteousness.