Further evidence of his ignorance of the sunnah is his statement (p. 240): “The salaf say: ‘A report is not like direct observation.’” This is a hadith attributed to the Prophet, narrated by a number of imams—including Ahmad—from Ibn Abbas, and it includes an account. It is cited in Sahih al-Jami al-Saghir (5250).

Another example of his ignorance of what the Salafi methodology requires is that he included (p. 74) al-Kashshaf and Fakhr al-Razi’s exegesis among the authoritative works of exegesis. Have you ever seen or heard an Athari say anything of the sort? It is therefore no surprise that he should depart from the sunnah under their influence and give the verse concerning riba a figurative interpretation.

As for his spelling errors, which show him to be virtually illiterate, they are almost beyond counting. In more than one place, he writes: “Ta‘ālā ma‘ī!”—“Come with me!” He wrote (p. 131): “Then ta‘ālā to the saying of the Most High,” and cited a verse. On p. 129, he wrote: “It is impossible for this issue to have escaped these two eminent imams!” And on p. 130: “Moreover, the two imams are not physicians!” Thus, time and again, he puts the accusative in the nominative.

In conclusion, I say: