al-Siddīq and to his guidance and instruction, as happened on the day of al-Hudaybiyyah, on the day the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died, and when he debated with him concerning those who withheld zakat, among other occasions. A woman would challenge what he said and cite evidence from the Quran, and he would accept her correction, as happened concerning women’s dowries. There are many such examples.

Anyone granted inspiration, inward communication, and spiritual unveiling is no better than Umar. He must therefore follow Umar’s path in holding fast to the Quran and Sunnah, following what the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, brought—not making what the Messenger brought subordinate to whatever comes to him inwardly. Those who erred and went astray abandoned this course, contenting themselves with what came to them inwardly and supposing that this freed them from the need to follow transmitted knowledge.

One of them would say:

“They received their knowledge from one dead man after another, while we received ours from the Ever-Living, who never dies.”

The reply to him is: What trustworthy narrators have transmitted from the infallible Messenger is true. Were it not for transmission safeguarded from error, you and those like you would be either polytheists, Jews, or Christians. As for what comes to you inwardly, how do you know that it is inspiration from Allah? How do you know that it is not inspiration from Satan?

“Inspiration” is of two kinds: inspiration from the Most Merciful and inspiration from Satan. Allah Most High said:

“Indeed, the devils inspire their allies to dispute with you.”

And Allah Most High said:

“Thus We have appointed for every prophet an enemy—devils from humankind and jinn—who inspire