those who associate partners with Allah.”

“Among those who divided their religion and became sects, each faction rejoicing in what it has.”

For each of those who associate partners with Allah worships a deity according to his own desires. As He says in the first verse:

“What you call them to is difficult for those who associate partners with Allah.”

And He says:

“O messengers, eat from the good things and do righteous deeds. Indeed, I know well what you do.”

“And indeed this community of yours is one community, and I am your Lord, so fear Me.”

“But they divided their affair among themselves into factions, each faction rejoicing in what it has.”

It is thus clear that unity and harmony arise from embracing the religion in its entirety and acting upon all of it: worshipping Allah alone, without partner, as He has commanded, both inwardly and outwardly. Division arises from abandoning a portion of what the servant has been commanded to do, and from mutual transgression.

The fruits of unity are Allah’s mercy, pleasure, and blessings; happiness in this world and the Hereafter; and radiant faces. The consequences of division are Allah’s punishment and curse, darkened faces, and the Messenger’s disavowal of them, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

This is one of the proofs that consensus constitutes conclusive evidence. For when they unite, they thereby obey Allah and receive His mercy. Yet obedience to Allah and His mercy cannot result from something Allah has not commanded, whether a belief, a statement, or a deed. If the statement or deed upon which they agreed had not been commanded by Allah, it would neither constitute obedience to Him nor be a cause of His mercy. Abū Bakr ‘Abd al-‘Azīz used this argument at the beginning of “al-Tanbīh” (Drawing Attention), highlighting this subtle point.