cannot, therefore, be regarded as anything less than that.(1)
When the treatise went on to state, “Speech, in its true sense, is ascribed only to the one who originates it, not to the one who merely conveys and delivers it,” they welcomed these words and exalted them. One of the disputants(2) even began to proclaim his admiration for this statement, saying that it had removed his doubts, and he cited other points of the same tenor.(3)
Likewise, when they reached the section on belief in the Last Day, with its detailed exposition and orderly presentation, they approved of it and held it in great esteem.
The same happened when the discussion turned to belief in divine decree, explaining that it operates on two levels, along with the other weighty principles set forth there.
Similarly, when the passage dealing with the sinful member of the Muslim community (al-fāsiq al-millī) and the nature of faith was read, they voiced objections to it, which I shall shortly mention.
In sum, after the entire text had been read and examined, the objections advanced by the opponents(4) amounted to [four questions]:
The first question(5): Our statement, “Among the fundamentals of the saved sect is that faith …”