This disagreement exists among the adherents of the Sunnah and hadith who follow Imam Ahmad and others. It also exists among the followers of Mālik, al-Shāfi‘ī, and others.

Most followers of Abū Hanīfa, however, do not make a sound final outcome a condition, whereas many followers of Mālik, al-Shāfi‘ī, and Ahmad do. This is also the position of many theologians among the people of hadith, such as al-Ash‘arī, and among the Shia. Upon this disagreement they base the following questions: Can a friend of Allah become His enemy, and vice versa? Has someone whom Allah loves and is pleased with ever been hated by Him and incurred His wrath, and vice versa? Has someone whom Allah hates and with whom He is wrathful ever been loved by Him and enjoyed His pleasure? These questions are subject to the two views.

The “correct resolution” is to reconcile the two views. Allah’s eternal, beginningless knowledge, and His love, pleasure, hatred, wrath, friendship, and enmity consequent upon it, do not change. Whoever Allah knows will meet death with faith and mindfulness of Him has been the object of Allah’s love, friendship, and pleasure from eternity and forevermore. Likewise, whoever Allah knows will meet death in disbelief has been the object of Allah’s hatred, enmity, and wrath from eternity and forevermore. Nevertheless, Allah Most High hates whatever disbelief and wickedness the former person may have displayed before his death.

It may be said that He hates and detests him on that account, just as He forbids him to do those things. He, glorified and exalted is He, commands the faith and mindfulness of Him that the latter person practised, and He loves and is pleased with what He commands. It may be said that He takes him as a friend at that time on that account.

The evidence for this is the imams’ agreement that whoever was a believer and then apostatized