«والإجماع على أربعة أقسام»
Consensus has four categories.
The classification asks who agreed and how the agreement relates to earlier opinions or explicit expression:
1. Companions explicitly agreeing on a ruling for an issue.
2. Some Companions expressing a position while the remainder remain silent.
3. Later jurists agreeing where no prior Salaf position is recorded.
4. Later jurists agreeing on one of the views already held by the Salaf.
The book distinguishes their evidentiary strength and practical implications rather than treating them as identical.