The second point:

You find that the practitioners of speculative theology are more prone than anyone else to shift from one position to another: they affirm a position categorically in one place, then categorically affirm its opposite elsewhere and declare anyone who holds the former position an unbeliever. This is evidence of a lack of certainty. For faith is as Caesar described it when he asked Abū Sufyān about those who had embraced Islam with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“Does any of them renounce his religion out of dissatisfaction with it after embracing it?”

He replied, “No.”

Caesar said, “Such is faith: once its joy permeates the hearts, no one becomes dissatisfied with it.”

This is why one of the early generations—ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz or someone else—said:

“Whoever makes his religion a target for disputation will frequently shift from one position to another.”

As for the adherents of the Sunnah and hadith, none of their scholars or righteous ordinary followers is known ever to have abandoned his position or belief. Rather, they are the most steadfast of people in adhering to it, even when subjected to all manner of ordeals and trials. Such was the condition of the prophets and their followers in earlier times, such as the people of the Trench and others like them, and of the early generations of this community—the Companions, the Successors, and other leading scholars. Indeed, Mālik, may Allah have mercy on him, used to say:

“Do not envy anyone who has suffered no affliction in this matter.”

His point was that Allah will inevitably test the believer; if he remains patient, He raises his rank, as the Most High said:

“Alif-Lām-Mīm. Do people think that they will be left to say, ‘We believe,’ without being tested? We certainly tested those before them, so Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful