The same applies to the words of Allah Most High:
“And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided.”
It has been said that Allah’s rope is the religion of Islam; that it is the Quran; that it is His covenant; that it is obedience to Him and His command; and that it is the community of Muslims. All of these interpretations are true.
Likewise, when we speak of the Book, the Sunnah and consensus, what all three indicate is one and the same. Everything in the Book accords with what the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, taught, and the Muslim community agrees upon it in general terms: every believer considers adherence to the Book obligatory. Likewise, whatever the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, established as Sunnah, the Quran commands us to follow him in it, and the believers unanimously agree upon this. Similarly, whatever the Muslims unanimously agree upon can only be true and consistent with the Book and the Sunnah.
The Muslims, however, receive their entire religion from the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, whereas the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, receives the revelation of the Quran and another revelation, which is wisdom. As he, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“Indeed, I have been given the Book and something like it along with it.”
Hassān ibn ‘Atiyyah said:
“Gabriel would descend to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with the Sunnah and teach it to him just as he taught him the Quran.”
Thus, not everything brought by the Sunnah must be explained in the Quran. This differs from what those who reach consensus affirm: the Book and the Sunnah must provide evidence for it, for the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, is the intermediary between them and Allah in conveying His commands and prohibitions, and what He makes lawful and unlawful. The purpose here, however, is to discuss faith.
Another example of this is the Prophet’s saying, peace and blessings be upon him:
“No man who believes in Allah and the Last Day hates the Ansār.”
And his saying:
“A sign of faith is love for the Ansār, and a sign of hypocrisy is hatred of the Ansār.”
For whoever knows how the Ansār supported Allah and His Messenger from the very beginning of