And the learned shaykh, who put his knowledge into practice, the scrupulous and devout worshipper, Shaykh al-Islām, a surviving exemplar of the noble early generations, Abū al-ʿAbbās Ahmad ibn ʿAbd al-Halīm ibn ʿAbd al-Salām al-Shāmī—may Allah have mercy upon him—said:

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The hadith recounts the questions put to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, concerning Islam, faith, and excellence, his answers to them, and his statement at the end:

“This was Gabriel, who came to teach you your religion.”

He thus included all of this within religion. People have said a great deal about Islam and faith, sometimes disagreeing and at other times agreeing, so that there is a need to ascertain the truth concerning them. This is done by clarifying the established principles on which there is agreement, and then using these to arrive at the truth of the matter in dispute.

We therefore say: What is known from the Quran, the Sunnah, and consensus, and has been transmitted through numerous independent channels