and who first advanced it, so that its later emergence may be recognized and it may be known that such a doctrine had no basis among the first generation of the Companions. I then demonstrate the soundness of the positions of the People of the Sunnah through what Allah, Exalted is He, has revealed concerning them in His Book and through what has been narrated from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. If I find evidence for a matter in both, I cite them both; if I find it in one but not the other, I cite that one. If I find nothing concerning it in either except reports from the Companions—whom Allah and His Messenger commanded us to emulate, to take guidance from their statements, and to be illuminated by their light, since they witnessed the revelation and its descent and knew the meanings of its interpretation—I cite those reports. If there is no report from a Companion, then I cite the Followers who followed them in excellence: those whose words contain healing and guidance, and whose teachings, when followed as religion, draw one near to Allah and gain His favor. Thus, whenever we find that they reached a consensus on something, we rely upon it; and whoever they condemned for his statement, rejected on account of his innovation, or declared an unbeliever, we adopt their judgment and hold it as our conviction.

From the time of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, until our own day, there has always been a group that preserves this path and follows it as religion. Those who have perished are only those who deviated from this path because of their ignorance of the ways of following the prophetic example.

Within Islam, there were only a limited number of men from whom this path was learned. I shall mention their names at the beginning of this book, so that they may be known and that abundant mercy and supplications may be invoked for them, in recognition of their preserving this path for us and guiding us to the established ways of this Sharia. I have spared no effort in composing and arranging this book according to the way of the Sunnah and the Community, nor have I pursued the path of partisan bias in favor of anyone. For whoever follows the path of the righteous is far removed from partiality, because what he follows as religion is a revealed law