among the people of innovation—their statements contain falsehood and contradiction, some of which we shall point out, Allah willing. Ahl al-Sunnah hold that all who took part in Badr are in Paradise. The same is true of the Mothers of the Believers, including Aisha and the others; Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Talha, and al-Zubayr are the foremost inhabitants of Paradise [after the prophets. Ahl al-Sunnah maintain that belonging to the people of Paradise] (1) does not require one to be free from (2) error, or even from sin (3). Indeed, a person among them may commit a minor or major sin and then repent of it (4). This is agreed upon among the Muslims. Even if he does not repent of it, according to the great majority of them, minor sins are forgiven by avoiding (5) major sins. Indeed, most of them maintain that even major sins may (6) be erased by good deeds greater than those sins, by expiatory afflictions, and by other means.
Given this foundational principle, they say that much of what is reported (7) concerning the Companions’ misdeeds is false, and in many instances they were exercising independent judgment, though many people have not recognized (8) the grounds for their judgment. Whatever is deemed to have involved some sin [on their part] (9) is forgiven them—whether through repentance, good deeds that erase it, expiatory afflictions, or other means; for (10) evidence has been established whose necessary implication must be affirmed: that they are among the people of