and recognize that this newly introduced form of listening belongs to the same category as the listening of the polytheists and is closer to it than to the listening of the Muslims. Although some righteous Muslims have erred in this matter, Allah does not allow their reward and righteousness to go to waste because of their error. For the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“When a judge exercises independent judgment and reaches the correct conclusion, he receives two rewards; when he exercises independent judgment and errs, he receives one reward.”

This is comparable to a group from the early generations who fought the Commander of the Faithful, Ali, on the basis of an interpretation, although Ali ibn Abī Tālib and his companions were closer to the truth than they were. He said of them: “Whoever sought Allah will have Paradise.” Likewise, some among the earlier and later generations considered certain drinks permissible on the basis of an interpretation—even though the Quran and Sunnah establish the prohibition of what they deemed permissible—although their error is forgiven them.

The righteous spiritual teachers who attended this form of listening stipulated conditions for it that are only rarely met. Thus, most such listening gatherings fall outside the terms upon which those teachers agreed. Even so, they erred—may Allah forgive them for their error in departing from the Sunnah—even though they were excused. The cause of their error led many communities into the wrongdoing that they forbade