or he overpowers someone with his sword and whip, or wins his heart over with his wealth, in order to lead him astray from the path of Allah—out of partisan zeal for his innovation and in defense of his misguidance—so that he may turn the Muslims back on their heels and tempt them away from their religion after they had responded to Allah and the Messenger, willingly or unwillingly, and entered their religion by desire or by force, until the call was complete and the Sacred Law became firmly established.

[The Beginning of the Emergence of Innovations]

Thus, unity remained intact and the community remained gathered together throughout the time of the earliest Companions and the righteous predecessors who came after them, until an upstart emerged with a voice