How are the scholars of evil distinguished from the scholars of the Ummah?

Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner asks: How are the scholars of evil distinguished from the scholars of the Ummah?

Answer:
They are known by their schools of thought and their statements. Whoever’s statements agree with the Book and the Sunnah, and who holds the belief of the people of the Sunnah and the community in his creed regarding the oneness of lordship, the oneness of worship, and the oneness of the names and attributes, or who believes that faith is speech, action, and belief, and who believes in the divine decree and destiny, and believes in the six pillars of faith, and…
…does not declare the disobedient Muslim to be a disbeliever. If his sin is less than shirk (associating partners with Allah), he is not declared a disbeliever, but rather he is declared an open sinner, or one with weak faith, or deficient faith, and he is not expelled from the religion. If he holds these beliefs that agree with the beliefs of the people of the Sunnah and the community, then he is one of them. Yes. And if he opposes them in any of these matters, then he is not from the people of the Sunnah and the community, but rather he is from the people of misguidance. Yes.