Abu l-‘Arab al-Tamīmī has related on the authority of Ibn Farrukh that he wrote to Mālik bin Anas,

“Our land has much innovation (بدعة), and I have compiled a work refuting them.”

Imām Mālik wrote to him, saying:

“If you think that about yourself [i.e. that you are able to refute them], I fear that you will slip up and perish. Only one who is well-grounded and knows what to say to them should refute them, for they will not be able to be devious with him: there is no harm in that. As for anyone other than that, I fear that he will address them and err, so they will pursue his error or succeed in scoring points over him. Thus they will transgress and increase in their obstinacy upon their innovation.”