in them all. Whoever disbelieves in the angels disbelieves in the Books and the messengers, and thus disbelieves in Allah, since he has denied His messengers and His Books. Likewise, whoever disbelieves in the Last Day denies the Books and the messengers, and is therefore a disbeliever.

The same applies to His words:

“O People of the Book, why do you mix truth with falsehood and conceal the truth knowingly?”

He censures them for both qualities. Each warrants censure, and the two are inseparable. Thus He forbids both together in His words:

“Do not mix truth with falsehood or conceal the truth knowingly.”

For whoever confounds truth with falsehood, covering it with falsehood and thereby falling into error, necessarily conceals the truth that has come to appear false. Were he to make it clear, the falsehood with which the truth was obscured would disappear.

The same applies to opposing the Messenger and following a path other than that of the believers. Whoever opposes him has followed a path other than theirs—this is evident. Whoever follows a path other than theirs has likewise opposed him. For He has made this a ground for the threatened punishment, showing that it is a factor warranting censure. Whoever departs from their consensus has unquestionably followed a path other than theirs, and the verse establishes that this deserves censure.

If it is said, “The verse only censures this when it is accompanied by opposition to the Messenger,” we reply: “That is because the two are inseparable.” Everything upon which the Muslims have reached consensus has been explicitly stated by the Messenger. Whoever opposes them therefore opposes the Messenger, just as whoever opposes the Messenger opposes Allah. This, however, entails that everything upon which consensus has been reached has been explained by the Messenger—and this is indeed correct.