to the opinions of people (1); whatever accords with the truth we accept, and whatever contravenes it we reject. Rather, we are among those who submit the views and statements of men to the proof itself: whatever agrees with the proof we count as reliable and embrace, and whatever disagrees with it we oppose.

They said: “We will show that the armies of evidence on which you have relied, and from which you have sought victory, cannot so much as lift a hand against our forces, nor can they keep pace with our horsemen in the field. Your narrations are spurious and defective; none of the sound reports is on your side, and your analogy is manifestly void from more than forty angles (2). Thus we say—and in Allah the Exalted lies all success:

“As for your opening citation of His words, ‘It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, once Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, to have any choice about their affair’ (Al-Ahzab 33:36), and His words, ‘Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it’ (Al-Hashr 59:7), and the remainder of your prologue—yes, by Allah! We hear and obey the summons of Allah and His Messenger, and we abandon every statement that conflicts with it (3).

“We appeal to you by Allah: when we call you to the texts that contradict the one you have imitated, will you place those texts ahead of his word and act according to them? Or will you treat the statement of the one you follow (4) as a decisive text that rules over them (5), while reducing the revealed passages to mere ambiguous appearances—so that, if they can be deflected by assorted interpretations, you do so, and if not you simply say, ‘The imam of the school knows better’?”