This principle is affirmed not only by the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the unanimous agreement of the scholars, but also by well-known experience and sound analogy. Through prayer and zakāh the good of this world and the next is secured: they draw every benefit and ward off every harm.

What we have been saying, then, is that the forbidden means never yield a benefit that is unalloyed—or even predominant—and anyone who is familiar with the conditions of the world and possesses sound reason knows this with unshakable certainty.

Once this is established, we need not trouble ourselves over the fact that such means may occasionally appear to have an effect, for the causes by which Allah brings events into being in heaven and earth are so numerous that only He can truly enumerate them. As for their particular instances—and even their categories—no creature can encompass them, given the vastness of Allah’s dominion.

For this reason the way of the prophets, peace be upon them, is to command people to what will set them right and to forbid them what will corrupt them, without preoccupying them with speculation about the hidden causes of things, as the philosophers do. Such speculation is burdensome, yields little benefit, and often leads to harm.

The Prophet ﷺ is like a physician who visits a patient, diagnoses his illness, and says, “Drink this and avoid that.” The patient complies and attains the desired cure. By contrast, the philosopher may engage in lengthy discourse about why the illness arose, its nature, and how blameworthy it and its causes are; yet if the patient were to ask, “What will cure me?” he would not have a complete answer.

Indeed, discussing the alleged efficacy of some of those causes may itself become a temptation for one whose resolve is weak.