—nor any clear rational demonstration, nor any sound transmitted report, nor a single sign from among the signs shown by the prophets. Whenever they do attempt to reason, they speak in vague, ambiguous terms; but once they are asked to clarify what those words mean and the truth therein is sifted from the falsehood, the deception and confusion they contain become evident.

If they appeal to transmitted reports, these fall into one of two categories: either the report is authentic yet provides no support for their false doctrine, or it is inauthentic altogether—a fabrication.

The same analysis applies to the extraordinary occurrences they cite. Such wonders are either genuine miracles manifested at the hands of a prophet—like the signs granted to the Messiah, to those before him such as Elijah and Elisha, and to other prophets, or like the miracles of Moses—and these are indeed true; or they are marvels that appeared through some righteous servants, such as the apostles. Yet that in no way entails that these righteous individuals are infallible like the prophets. Prophets are divinely protected in what they transmit: it is inconceivable that they could say anything about Allah except the truth, and no falsehood—whether deliberate or accidental—can take root in their speech.

As for the righteous, one of them may err and make mistakes even though extraordinary events occur at his hands. Such errors do not strip him of his righteousness, nor do they prove him infallible, so long as he himself has not claimed immunity from error and has produced no signs establishing such a claim.