Thus they merely transmit the doctrine because they imagine that the divine scriptures have spoken of it, not because sound reason has led them to it. Yet the revealed books contain nothing that supports such a claim; rather, they contain proof of its opposite, as we shall—if Allah, Exalted is He, wills—set out below. Nor do they distinguish between that which the intellect declares impossible, dismisses as false, and knows to be inconceivable, and that which lies beyond the intellect’s grasp so that it can neither comprehend it nor pass judgment on it by affirming or denying. It is the second category that the messengers conveyed, and it is inconceivable that they should convey the first. Failing to make this distinction, they have confused what the mind deems impossible with what merely perplexes the mind. In so doing they have resembled the earlier polytheists who ascribed to Allah a son and a partner.

The Most High says:
“ The Jews say, ‘Ezra is Allah’s son,’ and the Christians say, ‘The Messiah is Allah’s son.’ Such are the words that issue from their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before. May Allah destroy them; how far astray they are!” [At-Tawbah, 9:30]

Similar to them are the people of innovation and misguidance who, while claiming affiliation with Islam, echo their excesses—those who go to extremes regarding the prophets, the Prophet’s family, various shaykhs, and others, and those who profess al-wahda (absolute oneness), al-ḥulūl (indwelling), or a particular, concrete ittiḥād (union), just as the Christians do and as the extremist Shi‘ites claim concerning ʿAlī and certain members of the Prophet’s household—such as the Nusayriyya and the like—who allege