any authentic hadith whose opposite the Muslims have unanimously affirmed, let alone one whose opposite is evident to all rational people through clear, sound reason. For what is known through clear, sound reason is more evident than what is known only through consensus and similar forms of evidence derived from revelation.

If authentic hadiths contain nothing whose opposite is known through less evident proofs, such as consensus and the like, then all the more certainly they contain nothing whose opposite is known through clear, sound reason. Most instances of conflict, however, concern subtle, ambiguous matters that perplex many rational people, such as questions concerning Allah’s names, attributes, and actions; reward and punishment after death; Paradise and Hell; and the Throne and the Kursī (Seat). Most of these are reports about the unseen, which the intellects of most rational people cannot fully comprehend through their own judgment alone. Thus, most who delve into these matters relying solely on their own judgment either disagree and dispute with one another or remain bewildered and confused. Most of them consider the authority they follow more proficient in these matters than themselves.

Thus, upon close examination, you find that they merely follow their authorities in what they describe as rational truths known through sound reason. You find Aristotle’s followers adhering to his statements on logic, natural philosophy, and metaphysics, even though many of them may reach conclusions through their own reason that contradict what Aristotle said. Yet, because they hold him in high regard, they hesitate to disagree with him or attribute the deficiency in understanding to themselves. This is despite the fact that rational people endowed with sound reason know that logic contains manifest errors beyond doubt, as noted elsewhere.