He said: [Then when most of the ummah deviated from the straight path and strayed from the upright guidance, the guidance of the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam), the devil presented sincerity in the guise of belittling the righteous and neglecting their rights]. This is the way of the devil—may Allāh protect us and you from him—for he approaches the believer and presents obedience in an ugly form that repels the soul and makes it disdainful, turning away from it. He approaches innovation and sin, dressing them in the most beautiful garments, embellishing and adorning them with the finest decorations, so that those with weak faith and unsteady conviction are drawn to them. As for the people of faith and insight, they are not deceived by these appearances. Rather, they look at matters with the discernment that Allāh grants to the pious, distinguishing between truth and falsehood. These matters are not confused for them; instead, they are exceedingly clear. The devil presents shirk as love for the righteous and portrays those who call to tawḥīd as if they do not love the righteous or honor them as they should. If you approach a man and say to him: "O brother! Do not turn to the grave in supplication; turn to the qiblah and ask your Lord, who possesses the treasures of the heavens and the earth, glorified and exalted, and do not ask this buried person who cannot help himself," he will say: "You do not know the worth of the righteous, nor do you value the friends of Allāh." This is truly due to his ignorance and his failure to appreciate Allāh as He deserves. If he truly appreciated Allāh, he would not turn to a buried person in the earth but would turn to the Lord of lords. However, due to his weak conviction and lack of insight, he is deceived by this image, and he considers honoring the people of the graves and the righteous by bowing to them, prostrating, or other acts performed by the people of shirk. All of this contradicts the guidance of the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) and leads to shirk. It is obligatory for the believer to distance himself from everything that contradicts the guidance of the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) and to know that the best guidance is the guidance of the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam). If the believer falls into any of this, the devil will adorn it for him. But if the believer returns to the Book of Allāh and the sunnah of His Messenger (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) and the guidance of the righteous predecessors, he will be safe from these doubts. He should know that no one follows the Book and the sunnah more than a man who makes Allāh his sole aim and object of worship, not directing any form of worship to anyone else. Therefore, the believer should beware of the devil, for he comes to these people and beautifies shirk for them, saying: "This is not shirk; it is merely honoring and venerating the righteous." To deter them from the call to tawḥīd, he says: "These people only call to belittle the righteous and attack them, and they do not honor or appreciate them as they should." This is a weak argument that only deceives those with weak minds. Therefore, the author, may Allāh have mercy on him, said: [The devil presented sincerity in the guise of belittling the righteous and neglecting their rights, and he presented shirk with Allāh in the guise of love for the righteous and following them]. The truth is that it is excessive veneration of the righteous and exceeding the limits. Otherwise, a believer does not fall into this or approach it; rather, he only venerates what Allāh and His Messenger have venerated. Moreover, love for the righteous is an act of worship, but the believer must not exceed the limits of this worship to the point of falling into shirk. This is the first principle mentioned by the author, may Allāh have mercy on him, in these six principles. All praise is due to Allāh, the Lord of all worlds, and may Allāh's peace, blessings, and grace be upon our master Muḥammad, and upon his family and all his companions