[The fifth]

The fifth perspective:

We demonstrate that sound, clear rational proofs about which there is no doubt—indeed, innate, self-evident knowledge—agree with what the messengers have conveyed and do not contradict it. All sound rational proofs agree with transmitted revelation and contradict nothing in it. Praise be to Allah, I have examined this in what the various schools have put forward, and have found that no member of any school of speculative thinkers engaged in rational inquiry adduces, on any question, a sound proof that contradicts what the messengers have conveyed. Rather, it agrees with it.

Even the philosophers who maintain that the world is eternal, such as Aristotle and his followers, adduce no sound rational proof that contradicts what the messengers have conveyed; rather, it agrees with it. The same holds for all other schools of speculative thinkers, whether proponents of negation or affirmation: whenever they adduce a rational proof on any question, whatever is sound in it agrees with revelation rather than contradicting it.

This establishes in detail that clear rational knowledge does not contradict what the prophets have conveyed, as we shall discuss in its proper place, Allah willing. We shall also show that those who oppose the prophets make use of neither reason nor hearing, as Allah, Most High, has said of them:

“Every time a group is thrown into it, its keepers will ask them, ‘Did no warner come to you?’ They will say, ‘Yes, a warner did come to us, but we denied him and said, “Allah has sent down nothing; you are only in great error.”’ And they will say, ‘If only we had listened or reasoned, we would not be among the companions of the Blaze.’ Thus they will acknowledge their sin. So away with the companions of the Blaze!”

[Al-Mulk: 8–11]

We shall then present further perspectives demonstrating the invalidity of this principle, which those who deviate from the truth use to reject what Allah and His Messenger have said. We say: