and this point is often overlooked—and its necessity and obligation forgotten—by many of the elite, let alone those known as "the Takfīr Group" or some types of groups that claim to engage in jihād but are in reality remnants of takfīr. These individuals—and those like them—may be righteous and sincere within themselves, but this alone is not sufficient for one to be among the successful and saved in the sight of Allāh. For a Muslim must combine two matters: true sincerity in intention for Allāh and proper adherence to what the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) was upon. Thus, it is not enough for a Muslim to be sincere and earnest in their efforts to act upon the Book and the sunnah and to call to them; rather, in addition to that, their methodology must be sound, correct, and upright, and this is only achieved by following what the righteous predecessors of the ummah were upon, may Allāh be pleased with them all. Among the well-known and established ḥadīths that lay the foundation for what I mentioned—and I referred to it earlier—is the ḥadīth of the seventy-three sects, which is his (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) saying: "The Jews split into seventy-one sects, and the Christians split into seventy-two sects, and my ummah will split into seventy-three sects, all of which are in the Fire except one." They said: "Who are they, O Messenger of Allāh?" He said: "The group" [and in another narration:] "What I and my Companions are upon." We find that the Prophet's (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) answer aligns perfectly with the previous verse: "and follows other than the way of the believers." The first to be included in the generality of the verse are the Companions of the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam)