, and must therefore be classed with the former. This has been the community’s practice, past and present: most of those among these groups who err are subject to the same rulings of Islam as other Muslims. This is so despite the knowledge that many proponents of religious innovation are guilty of major hypocrisy. Such people are unbelievers in the lowest depth of the Fire. How often hypocritical heretics are found among the Rāfidah, the Jahmiyyah and similar groups! Indeed, these innovations originated with hypocritical heretics whose unbelief had its roots among the Sabians and the polytheists. These people are inwardly unbelievers, and anyone whose true condition is known is also treated outwardly as an unbeliever.

The root of their misguidance is turning away from the Book and wisdom brought by the Messenger and seeking guidance in what contradicts them. Anyone whose fundamental approach is such is undoubtedly an unbeliever once the message has reached him. This includes someone who believes that the message is for the common people but not the elite, as certain philosophers and extremists among speculative theologians and Sufis maintain; or someone who believes that he is a messenger to some people but not others, as many Jews and Christians maintain.

This discussion lays the groundwork for two fundamental principles:

The first is that knowledge, faith and guidance lie in what the Messenger brought, and that whatever contradicts it is unbelief as a general ruling. Thus, denying the divine attributes is unbelief; and denying that Allah will be seen in the Hereafter, or that He is above the Throne, or that the Quran is His speech, or