some people claim that a close servant of Allah is protected, in a manner comparable to the infallibility established for the prophets—a view to which al-Hakīm al-Tirmidhī has alluded. This is false and contrary to the Sunnah and scholarly consensus.

For this reason, Muslims agree that anyone’s statements may be accepted or rejected except those of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, although people differ in their guidance, light, and correctness. Thus, the consummately truthful person is superior to the person who receives divine inspiration: the consummately truthful person draws from the light of prophethood and therefore receives only what is free from error and safeguarded. By contrast, someone who receives divine inspiration may be right or wrong, and the Quran and Sunnah distinguish his correct insights from his errors. Hence, all the close servants of Allah depend upon the Quran and Sunnah. They must weigh all their affairs against the teachings transmitted from the Messenger. Whatever agrees with those teachings is true, and whatever contradicts them is false, even if they have earnestly striven to arrive at the truth in the matter. Allah Most High rewards them for their efforts and forgives their errors.

It is well known that the earliest forerunners were more fully guided and followed the transmitted prophetic teachings more closely; they therefore possessed greater faith and piety. The last of Allah’s close servants cannot attain what they attained.

As for the reported hadith:

“My community is like rain: one cannot tell whether its beginning is better or its end.”

Its chain of transmission has been questioned. Even assuming that it is authentic, it means only that, toward the end of the community’s history, there will be people who come close to its earliest members, so that some people will be unsure which group is better—just as some people cannot distinguish between the two ends of a garment—even though it is certain that the earlier group is better than the later one. This is why he said:

“One cannot tell.”

It is well known that this negation does not apply to everyone in the community, for it must be known which of the two groups is superior.