He said:

“Then I wished—and a request from some of the brothers coincided with my wish—to present a summary of their explicit statements, incorporating some of their own wording. Such a summary is easier to memorize and contains the essence of the book. So I sought the help of Him upon whom all reliance rests, and said:

“The explicit statements we have selected fall into two chapters: the first explains the sunnah and its merit; the second concerns shunning innovation and its adherents.

“As for the first chapter, know that the ‘sunnah’ is the way of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Following the sunnah means walking that path and conforming to it. It comprises ‘three categories’: sayings, deeds, and beliefs.

“Sayings include the transmitted formulas of remembrance and glorification of Allah. Deeds include the aforementioned sunnah practices of prayer, fasting, and charity, as well as approved ways of conduct and transmitted manners. These two categories comprise practices that are strongly encouraged and recommended, through which reward and recompense are earned. The third category is the sunnah concerning beliefs, which is one of the foundations of faith.”

He said:

“Now, with Allah’s help, I shall present a summary of what I have transmitted from them in scattered passages, adding material recorded in works on foundational belief that has not reached me from them at all. I shall arrange this material in a carefully prepared form, interweaving some of their explicit statements and using the briefest wording I can, so that it may be easy to memorize for anyone wishing to retain it. I therefore say: Let the follower of the sunnah know that the sunnah concerning beliefs falls into ‘three categories’: one concerns Allah’s names, essence, and attributes; another concerns the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, his Companions, and his miracles; and another concerns the people of Islam in this life and the Hereafter.