the Fire for anyone among the people of the qibla, or not?” They are a group among the Ash‘arīs.

If they say, “We(1) affirm with certainty that many who commit grave sins will enter the Fire,” this(2) is the position of the majority of the People of the Sunnah.

In short, they hold some positions peculiar to themselves and others which they share with other groups, just as is the case with the Khārijites, the Mu‘tazila, and others. As for the adherents of hadith, the Sunnah, and the community, they are distinguished(3) by following the Book, the Sunnah authentically established from their Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—in both fundamental and subsidiary matters, and the way of the Companions of Allah’s Messenger—peace and blessings be upon him. This is unlike the Khārijites, the Mu‘tazila, the Rāfidis, and those who agree with some of their positions, for they do not follow the hadiths transmitted from the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—by trustworthy narrators and whose authenticity is known to hadith scholars.

The Mu‘tazila say, “These are solitary reports.” The Rāfidis, meanwhile, impugn the Companions and their transmission, while the underlying reality of their position is that it impugns the prophetic mission.

One of the Khārijites says, “Be just, Muhammad, for you have not acted justly.” They thus deem it possible that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—could(4) act unjustly. For this reason, the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said