those who follow them, then those who follow them—as has been established through multiple reports from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and that they surpass the later generations in every virtue: knowledge, deeds, faith, intellect, religion, exposition, and worship, and are better qualified to explain every difficult matter. No one denies this except someone who obstinately disputes what is necessarily known to be part of Islam and whom Allah has led astray with knowledge. As Abdullāh ibn Masūd, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

“Whoever among you wishes to follow an example should follow those who have died, for the living are not safe from trials. Those are the Companions of Muhammad: those of this community with the most righteous hearts, the deepest knowledge, and the least affectation. They are people whom Allah chose to accompany His Prophet and establish His religion. So recognize their due and hold fast to their guidance, for they followed upright guidance.”

Another said:

“Adhere to what has been handed down from those who came before, for they brought what suffices and heals. No hidden good unknown to them has emerged since their time.”

Moreover, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“No time comes but that the one after it is worse, until you meet your Lord.”

How, then, could an age come upon us that is better with regard to the greatest object of knowledge—namely, knowledge of Allah Most High? This can never happen.

How well al-Shāfiī, may Allah have mercy on him, expressed it in his Epistle:

“They surpass us in all knowledge, intellect, religion, virtue, and every means by which knowledge is attained or guidance grasped. Their judgments for us are better than our own judgments for ourselves.”

Furthermore, these Jahmī Kullābīs—such as Abū Muhammad, the author of this statement, and others like him—may be asked: How can you abandon the way of the early generations when the highest attainment of the early generations is to be