In the name of Allāh, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. All praise is due to Allāh, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muḥammad, and upon his family and all his companions. To proceed: Shaykh al-Islām Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb (may Allāh have mercy on him) says: [Among the most astonishing wonders and the greatest signs indicating the power of the Almighty King are six principles that Allāh has explained clearly to the common people beyond what anyone could imagine, yet after this, many of the world's intelligent and wise people have erred regarding them, except for a very few!]. This is the lesson related to six great beneficial principles, and it is from the letters of Shaykh al-Islām Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb (may Allāh have mercy on him). It appears that this letter is excerpted from the writings of the Shaykh (may Allāh have mercy on him); for he did not begin it with a clear introduction as we see—in the version we have—and perhaps it has an independent or omitted introduction. The Shaykh (may Allāh have mercy on him) indicated at the beginning of this blessed letter that there are six principles, and these six principles have been clearly, sufficiently, and brilliantly explained by Allāh in His wise Book. He (may Allāh have mercy on him) said: [Among the most astonishing wonders and the greatest signs indicating the power of the Almighty King are six principles that Allāh has explained clearly to the common people]. His statement: [to the common people] does not mean that it is exclusive to them, but rather he means that these six principles are obligatory for everyone, and they are clear to the general public, understood by both the intelligent and the simple-minded, comprehended by both the learned and the ignorant, and understood by anyone who hears the message, whoever they may be, if they possess the intellect of understanding; for anyone who possesses the intellect of understanding and discernment will comprehend these principles from the words of Allāh. The author (may Allāh have mercy on him) began the letter with amazement at the clarity of these principles and the people's heedlessness of them. The amazement here means astonishment and wonder at this situation, regardless of whether the cause is known or unknown, whether the cause is familiar or unfamiliar; for it is not necessary for amazement to imply ignorance of the cause, as is well-known and established; for amazement is used for what is unknown in cause and for what is known in cause but is out of the ordinary, and beyond its counterparts and examples that appear and attract attention. The discussion here is not an investigation of the cause, but rather an expression of amazement at the state of these people. He (may Allāh have mercy on him) said: [Among the most astonishing wonders and the greatest signs indicating the power of the Almighty King]. (the Almighty) is not one of the names of Allāh, but the author (may Allāh have mercy on him) mentioned it as an attribute, and it is known that the scope of attributes is broader than the scope of names, for names are fixed, while attributes are originally fixed but broader than names; because names must be based on the Qurʾān and the sunnah, while attributes can be derived from actions, so every action proven for Allāh implies an attribute for Allāh, and it has been mentioned in some narrations and traditions that He, the Exalted, is described as the Overcomer, which is one of the meanings of His name al-ʿAzīz; for the Overcomer is one of the meanings of the name al-ʿAzīz as previously mentioned; because one of the meanings of might is overcoming and subduing. He (may Allāh have mercy on him) said: [Six principles that Allāh has explained clearly to the common people beyond what anyone could imagine, yet after this, many of the world's intelligent people have erred regarding them] meaning: after this explanation, which one would not expect to be followed by error; because it was a clear explanation, and what is clearly and brilliantly explained is understood by the common people and does not require scholars and geniuses, it is expected that there should be no error in it, no heedlessness of it, and no disagreement regarding it; due to its clarity and the prominence of its evidence and signs. And his statement (may Allāh have mercy on him): [yet after this, many of the world's intelligent people have erred regarding them]. Intelligence: is a sharpness in understanding by which a person perceives obscure matters, and there is no connection between intelligence and faith, but rather the connection is between purity and faith; because purity is in the heart, and intelligence is in understanding, so a person may be intelligent and a disbeliever, but they cannot be pure unless they are a believer in Allāh and His Messenger. So his statement (may Allāh have mercy on him): [the world's intelligent people] means: its astute individuals with understanding who are not oblivious to matters. And his statement (may Allāh have mercy on him): [and the wise among the descendants of Adam except for a very few] means: many have erred except for a very few who did not err regarding them, and we ask Allāh to make us among those included in His statement: "And few of My servants are grateful" (Sabaʾ, 13). This is the condition of the descendants of Adam, for most of them are misguided, as Allāh says: "And if you obey most of those upon the earth, they will mislead you from the way of Allāh" (al-Anʿām, 116), and therefore it is not permissible to use the majority as evidence for the correctness of a statement, school of thought, or method, and this is an important matter; because Allāh has not mentioned the majority in a praiseworthy manner, but rather He said: "And if you obey most of those upon the earth, they will mislead you from the way of Allāh" (al-Anʿām, 116), and Allāh said: "And few of My servants are grateful" (Sabaʾ, 13), and He, the Exalted, said: "Indeed, in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers" (al-Shuʿarāʾ, 8), so the majority does not indicate the correctness of the path, nor the safety of the methodology, but what indicates the correctness of the path and the safety of the methodology is adherence to the Qurʾān and the sunnah, for they are the judges over every statement, opinion, and action, and what agrees with the Qurʾān and the sunnah and what was adhered to by the predecessors of the ummah is correct, and what contradicts it is the rejected error, even if most people follow it.