asserting that it is the intended meaning. The entire community before them would then have been ignorant of Allah’s intended meaning, having gone astray from understanding it, and the age of the Companions and their successors would have passed without their knowing the meaning of the verse. Rather, one group would have said, “He may intend this meaning,” and another group, “He may intend this meaning,” while none of them knew what was intended. Then a third party would have come and said, “Here is a meaning that may be the intended one.” If the community’s ignorance of the meanings of the Quran and its failure to understand the Lord’s intent were such, their claim would have some validity. A fuller discussion of this belongs elsewhere.

The “point” is that many of the later scholars came to rely, in their religion, on neither the Quran nor the faith brought by the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, unlike the early generations. Hence the early generations were more complete in knowledge and faith, their errors were less serious, and their correct judgments more numerous, as we have explained earlier.

The foundation upon which they built was what Allah commanded them in His words:

“O you who believe, do not put yourselves before Allah and His Messenger, and fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.”

This commands the believers to observe the conduct with which He described the angels, as He, Most High, said:

“They say, ‘The Most Merciful has taken a son.’ Glory be to Him! Rather, they are honoured servants.”

“They do not precede Him in speech, and they act at His command.”

“He knows what is before them and what is behind them. They intercede only for those whom He approves, and they stand in awe of Him.”

“Should any of them say, ‘I am a god besides Him,’ We would recompense him with Hell. Thus do We recompense the wrongdoers.”

Thus He, glorified be He, described them as those who