[The Twenty-Second Argument]

It may be stated as follows:

Allah—glorified be He—censured certain disbelievers for barring others from His way and seeking to make it crooked. As He, the Most High, says:

“Say, ‘O People of the Scripture, why do you disbelieve in the verses of Allah while Allah is Witness over what you do?’ Say, ‘O People of the Scripture, why do you avert from the way of Allah those who believe, seeking to make it crooked, while you are witnesses? And Allah is not unaware of what you do.’” [Āl ‘Imrān: 98–99]

He, the Most High, also says:

“And do not sit on every path, threatening and averting from the way of Allah those who believe in Him, seeking to make it crooked. And remember when you were few and He increased your number.” [al-A‘rāf: 86]

He also says:

“Indeed, Allah’s curse is upon the wrongdoers—those who avert others from the way of Allah and seek to make it crooked.” [Hūd: 18–19]

And He says:

“And woe to the disbelievers from a severe punishment—those who prefer the worldly life over the Hereafter and avert others from the way of Allah.” [Ibrāhīm: 2]

It is well known that the way of Allah consists of what Allah sent His messengers with: His commands and what He has conveyed. Whoever simply forbids people from believing Allah’s messengers and obeying them has barred them from the way of Allah. How much more so if he forbids them from believing what the messengers have conveyed and explains that reason contradicts it and must be given precedence over what the messengers have conveyed?