assent is incomplete and inadequate, the community has divided into three groups:

Those who combine both have fully realized its two meanings: affirmation expressing assent and volitional action.

Two other groups lack one of these meanings:

The dialectical theologians chiefly direct their reflection and discourse toward affirmation and negation, existence and nonexistence, and propositions. Their ultimate aim is merely assent, knowledge, and the communication of information.

The Sufis chiefly direct their pursuit and activity toward love and hatred, desire and aversion, and practical activity. Their ultimate aim is love, submission, action, and desire.

As for the people of knowledge and faith, they combine both aspects: assent grounded in knowledge and action motivated by love. Moreover, their assent rests on knowledge, and so do their action and love. They are thus free of the two failings of the theologians and Sufis who have deviated, and have attained what each of these two groups lacked.

For each of those who have deviated has two failings:

The first is speaking without knowledge—if he is a theologian—and acting without knowledge—if he is a Sufi. Such are the theological and practical innovations that have arisen in opposition to the Quran and Sunnah.

The second is that the theologian has neglected action, while the Sufi has neglected affirmation and discourse.

As for those who adhere to the Sunnah inwardly and outwardly, their speech and action, both inward and outward, are grounded in knowledge, and each is accompanied by the other. These are the true Muslims