The balanced path is illustrated through four contrasts:
Exaggeration and neglect — exceeding due limits regarding the Prophet ﷺ and religious figures, or diminishing their established rights.
Assimilation and negation — likening Allah to creation or denying His affirmed attributes.
Compulsion and unrestricted autonomy — erasing human choice or treating human acts as independent of divine creation.
False security and despair — feeling immune from punishment or despairing completely of mercy.
Balance means preserving each relevant truth in its proper place.