to adopt it, according to consensus, unless it was supported by the Book or the Sunnah.

The twenty-third ground:

Whenever a judge contravenes a scriptural text or consensus, his ruling must be overturned, by agreement of the imams. These men’s ruling contravenes both scriptural texts and consensus in many respects, and therefore warrants being overturned by consensus.

The twenty-fourth ground:

This ruling and others like it resemble the rulings repeatedly issued in the past in matters comparable to this case. Each of those rulings is invalid by consensus on numerous grounds, and the same applies to this one.

The twenty-fifth ground:

Besides being invalid by consensus, these rulings stir up strife, divide the hearts of the community, entail aggression against Muslims and those in authority over them, cause them harm, and bring about discord among Muslims. Judging by what Allah has revealed brings well-being in this world and the Hereafter, whereas judging by other than what Allah has revealed brings ruin in this world and the Hereafter. This ruling must therefore be overturned by consensus.

The twenty-sixth ground:

If something that causes harm to Muslims is among the things commanded by Allah and His Messenger, then in doing it they are obeying Allah and His Messenger, and their reward for it rests with Allah, as in the case of jihad. But if what harms them is something that neither Allah nor His Messenger has commanded, it must be rejected by consensus. And rulings such as these, which harm Muslims and those in authority over them