have gone astray. This is because the Jews knew the truth but did not act upon it, while the Christians worshipped Allah without knowledge.”

For this reason, the early generations used to say:

“Beware the trial posed by the wicked scholar and the ignorant worshipper, for theirs is a trial for everyone who is led astray.”

They also used to say:

“Those scholars who become corrupt bear a resemblance to the Jews, while those worshippers who become corrupt bear a resemblance to the Christians.”

Whoever calls to knowledge without the action that is commanded leads others astray, and whoever calls to action without knowledge likewise leads others astray. More astray than either is someone who pursues knowledge by following the path of the people of religious innovation: he follows things contrary to the Quran and Sunnah, imagining them to be knowledge when they are forms of ignorance. The same applies to someone who follows the path of the people of religious innovation in worship: he performs deeds contrary to the prescribed deeds, imagining them to be acts of worship when they are forms of misguidance.

Both failings are common among those who deviate while claiming affiliation with jurisprudence or the path of poverty. Such a person combines calling to knowledge without action and calling to action without knowledge, while what he advocates contains innovations contrary to the revealed law. The path to Allah can only be fully followed through knowledge and action, both conforming to the revealed law.

Anyone following the path of “poverty, Sufism, asceticism and worship” who does not proceed with knowledge conforming to the revealed law will stray from the path and cause more harm than good. Likewise, anyone pursuing “jurisprudence, knowledge, rational inquiry and speculative theology” who does not follow the revealed law and act upon his knowledge will be wicked and astray from the path. This, then, is