to the sharī'a by those who are astray. And Allah, glorified and exalted is He, knows best.

What I have explained concerning the meanings of sharī'a, rulings of the sharī'a, and knowledge of the sharī'a makes clear that no one may depart from the sharī'a in any of their affairs. Rather, everything conducive to a person’s well-being is encompassed by the revealed law, whether in fundamentals or subsidiary matters, spiritual states, deeds, governance, dealings, or anything else. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all worlds.

This is because the sharī'a consists in obeying Allah, His Messenger, and those in authority among us. Allah Most High has said:

“O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you.”

In many verses of the Quran, He has enjoined obedience to Himself and His Messenger and forbidden disobedience to Himself and His Messenger. He has promised His pleasure, forgiveness, mercy, and Paradise for obedience to Himself and His Messenger, and threatened the opposite for disobedience to Himself and His Messenger. Thus everyone—whether a scholar, ruler, worshipper, or someone engaged in worldly dealings—must obey Allah and His Messenger in whatever they undertake, whether scholarship, judgment, issuing commands or prohibitions, work, worship, or anything else.

The essence of the sharī'a is to follow the messengers and submit to their authority, just as departing from it means departing from obedience to the messengers. Obedience to the messengers is the religion of Allah, for the sake of which He commanded fighting, saying:

“Fight them until there is no more persecution and worship