of great magnitude, engage in deep reflection, practise various forms of worship, asceticism, and spiritual discipline, and abandon desires and customary habits. Yet they end up doubting the Most Merciful, worshipping false gods and Satan, producing adulterated gold, and spreading corruption on earth. Few attain any part of their objective, which only takes them further away from Allah. Most achieve nothing and incur sin: they yearn for disbelief, wickedness, and disobedience, yet accomplish nothing beyond transmitting lies and wishing for transgression. They eagerly listen to falsehood and devour illicit gain; the humiliation of those who fabricate lies is upon them.

As Allah Most High says:
“Indeed, those who took the calf for worship will incur anger from their Lord and humiliation in the life of this world. Thus do We recompense those who fabricate lies.”
Al-A‘rāf 152.

Hence, you generally find that those who pursue these arduous, demanding falsehoods are either heretics who espouse negation and denial, or ignorant people whom they have led astray through some of their specious arguments.

As for his statement:
“What, then, of the inarticulate Hebrews and the tent-dwelling Arabs?”

The reply is:
We do not deny that some Hebrews and Arabs lack the intellectual capacity to grasp certain subtleties of knowledge. But if you compare the Arabs associated with Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace—both the elite and ordinary people—and those who were with Moses, peace and blessings be upon him, with the peoples you have postulated, you will find them superior to those peoples in every