their consensus on disputed matters, unlike the early generations, whose consensus can often be known. When they mention disagreements among later generations, that alone does not justify treating these as matters open to scholarly judgment, in which each view is admissible and does not contravene consensus. For many of the foundational principles advanced by later generations are innovations introduced into Islam, preceded by a consensus of the early generations to the contrary. Dissent arising after the consensus of the early generations is unquestionably erroneous, as with the dissent of the Khawārij, Rāfidah, Qadariyyah, and Murjiʾah, whose positions contradicting the widely transmitted, well-known scriptural texts and the consensus of the Companions have become notorious.

This differs from known disagreements among the early generations: a view held in such a disagreement cannot be said to contravene consensus; it can only be refuted by a scriptural text. If it is said, “The Successors reached consensus on one of their two views, thereby ending the disagreement,” such a claim rests on two premises:

First: knowing that no one in the Muslim community continued to uphold the other view. This is impossible to establish.

Second: whether something of this kind ends the disagreement … (1) is well known.

Thus, a disputed view among the early generations