...of Yusuf bin Tashfin, who was in himself pious and devout, the Almoravids pursued a separation between their conceptual beliefs and the social and political behavior that those beliefs necessitated. This resulted in a contradiction between principles of justice, equality, enjoining good, and forbidding evil, and a social and political reality that ran contrary to these principles, characterized by injustice, favoritism, the perpetuation of evil, and the violation of good. This separation between thought and behavior was a point of severe criticism for Ali bin Yusuf and his jurists by the Mahdi, who summoned him to Marrakesh to clarify his position and what he called for. He addressed the prince, saying: "It is incumbent upon you to revive the Sunnah and abolish innovation. Evils have appeared in your kingdom, and innovations have spread. God has commanded you to change them and revive the Sunnah, as you have the ability to do so. You are accountable for this and responsible for it." Then he addressed one of the jurists present, holding him accountable, saying: "Has it reached you, O judge, that wine is sold openly, that pigs are slaughtered among Muslims, and that the wealth of orphans is taken?"

In the Mahdi's conception, the connection between thought and action was organic, and its disruption led to the corruption of both. He incorporated this into his definition of true faith, making it contingent upon the presence of both inner conviction and outward action, as an expression of the desired strong link between thought and action. Nothing is stronger in this regard than to make it a condition for salvation, which is faith.

We can consider this conviction, which deepened in the Mahdi's soul, as one of the most prominent characteristics of his thought. It is not uncommon to find individuals who possess strong beliefs at the level of thought or at the level of personal behavior; there are many of them. However, few are those whose connection between behavior and action is so strong as to drive them to undertake a mission to achieve that connection at the political and social level, as Ibn Tumart did.

See: Rawd al-Qirtas by Ibn Abi Zar', p. 121. See: Al-Subki, Tabaqat, vol. 4, p. 53, and Ibn Khallikan, Wafayat, vol. 2, p. 232.