And this is a great principle: to recognize what is good in itself, in knowledge and action, whether obligatory or recommended; and to recognize what is evil in itself, in knowledge, speech, and action, whether prohibited or not—if what is not prohibited may be called evil. Religion consists in securing good and benefit, and preventing evil and harm.
These two aspects often coexist in a single act or a single person. Blame, prohibition, and punishment may be directed at the evil contained in either, but the good within it must not be overlooked. Likewise, praise, commands, and reward may be directed at the good contained in either, but the evil within it must not be overlooked. A man may be praised for refraining from certain evils involving religious innovation and wickedness, yet he may lack the good deeds, in accordance with the Sunnah and righteousness, for which another is praised. This is the way of weighing things fairly and giving each its due. Whoever follows it upholds the justice for which Allah sent down the Book and the Balance.
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Now, those earlier figures who developed the methods of “opinion,” “speculative theology,” “Sufism,” and other such disciplines used to mix these with principles drawn from the Book