necessarily entails opposing the Messenger, and that everything on which they have reached consensus must be supported by an explicit text from the Messenger. Thus, every issue on which consensus and the absence of any dissent among the believers are established with certainty is one concerning which Allah has made guidance clear. Whoever opposes such a consensus falls into disbelief, just as someone who opposes an unambiguous text falls into disbelief.

But where consensus is presumed rather than established with certainty, it may likewise be impossible to establish with certainty that the matter is one concerning which guidance has been made clear through the Messenger. Someone who opposes such a consensus may not fall into disbelief. Indeed, the assumption that consensus exists may itself be mistaken, the correct position being contrary to that view. This is the decisive distinction between opposition to consensus that constitutes disbelief and opposition that does not.

Does “consensus” provide conclusive or presumptive evidence? Some people affirm one or the other without qualification, while others deny both without qualification. The correct approach is to distinguish: where consensus is established with certainty, and it is known with certainty that there is absolutely no dissent among the believers, its truth must be affirmed with certainty. It must also concern something on which the Messenger has made guidance clear, as has been explained at length elsewhere.

Another aspect is that when what is obligatory is described by inseparable attributes, this indicates that whenever any one of those attributes becomes evident, what it signifies must be followed. This is like “the straight path,” which Allah has commanded us to ask Him to guide us to. It has been described as Islam, as following the Quran, as obeying Allah and His Messenger, and as the path of servitude to Allah. It is well known that what each of these names designates must be followed. They all designate the same reality, although its attributes vary. Thus, whenever any one of these attributes becomes evident, what it signifies must be followed, for it signifies the same thing as the others. Likewise, the names of Allah Most High, the names of His Book, and the names of His Messenger are like the names of His religion.