and what they unanimously agree is prohibited, as well as the matters over which they disagree. He did not prohibit visitation altogether, either explicitly or implicitly. The consensus they cited agrees with what he stated rather than contradicting it. Indeed, he is among the foremost advocates of recommending the visitation upon which Muslims are unanimously agreed. He does not regard everything called “visitation” as recommended, equating the religion of the Most Merciful with the religion of Satan, as these people have done. They have even condemned those who distinguish between the religion of the Most Merciful and the religion of Satan.

The thirty-second ground:

Accepting the statement of a judge or anyone else without proof, despite its contradicting the Sunnah, is contrary to the consensus of the Muslims. Rather, this is the religion of the Christians, who “took their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah, and also the Messiah, son of Mary, although they were commanded to worship only one God. There is no deity worthy of worship except Him. Glorified is He above what they associate with Him!” The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“They made unlawful things lawful for them and lawful things unlawful for them, and they obeyed them. That was their worship of them.”

Muslims unanimously agree that whatever they dispute must be referred back to Allah and the Messenger. Yet these people did not refer the matter disputed by Muslims back to Allah and the Messenger; instead, they ruled that it be rejected on the basis of their own statements. This is invalid by the consensus of the Muslims. Moreover, they ruled according to a third position contrary to both positions held by Muslim scholars. Thus, both they and their ruling departed from the consensus of the Muslims. This is invalid by the consensus of the Muslims.