when accompanied by hatred and arrogance, does not constitute faith—by the consensus of the believers—unless affirmation is accompanied by action.

The foundation of action is the heart’s action: love and reverence, which are incompatible with hatred and arrogance. They then said:

“Neither speech nor action is accepted without intention.”

This is clear, for Allah Most High does not accept speech or action unless it is sincerely devoted to Him. They then said:

“Neither speech, action, nor intention is accepted without conformity to the Sunnah.”

The Sunnah is the divinely prescribed law: what Allah and His Messenger have commanded. For speech, action, and intention that are not in accordance with the Sunnah, prescribed by Allah and commanded by Him, constitute innovation. They are not among the things Allah loves, so He does not accept them, nor are they sound—as with the deeds of the polytheists and the People of the Book.

The term “Sunnah,” as used by the early generations, encompasses the Sunnah in both worship and belief, although many who wrote works on the Sunnah intended to discuss matters of belief. This is illustrated by the saying of Ibn Mas‘ūd, Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, and Abū al-Dardā’, may Allah be pleased with them:

“Moderate effort in following the Sunnah is better than strenuous effort in innovation.”

There are other similar statements.

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. May His blessings be upon Muhammad, his pure family, and all his Companions.