and corresponds to what it reports. Our knowledge that everything Allah and His Messenger have reported is real is greater than our knowledge of any individual matter known through our senses or reason, even though we are certain of the validity of such knowledge in general. For our senses and reason may be subject to errors that undermine some of their perceptions, as with sophistical doubts.

The reports of Allah and His Messenger, however, are true and accord with reality as it is. None of these reports can be false or contrary to reality as it is. It is known in general that whatever opposes and contradicts any of these reports is false, belonging to the same category as sophistical arguments, even though someone who knows this may not know precisely why those opposing arguments are false.

Such is the position of those who believe the Messenger and know that he is Allah’s Messenger, truthful in what he reports. They know in general that whatever contradicts his report is false, and that no sound evidence—whether rational or drawn from revelation—can oppose it. As for whatever contradicts his reports among the things his opponents invoke and call rational arguments, demonstrative proofs, ecstatic experiences, spiritual tastes, communications, unveilings, direct witnessing, or other such bewildering phenomena—or which they call realization, monotheism, gnosis, true wisdom, philosophy, certain knowledge, or other names their proponents give them—we know with certainty that admits no possibility of the contrary that these are forms of ignorance,