the word of the infallible one, who neither errs nor lies, and the report of the truthful one, who speaks only the truth. Human opinions, by contrast, abound in incoherence and contradiction. I therefore trust neither my own opinion and reason concerning these lofty divine matters, nor the reports of these people who disagree and contradict one another. Each of them asserts, on the basis of his reason, things that rational people know to be false. Indeed, there is not one among them whom I have not found advancing rational claims known to be false. The messengers, by contrast, are protected from error. I therefore do not accept these people’s statements unless they are endorsed by that infallible source: the report of the truthful and trustworthy one.

Clearly, this position is more likely to be correct and more befitting people of understanding than opposing the reports of the Messenger—whom they know to be truthful and to speak only the truth—with whatever opinions and rational notions occur to them, which are, for the most part, ignorance and error.

For here we are meeting them on their own ground, just as we do when debating a Jew or a Christian, even though we know that what he says is false, in accordance with the words of the Most High:

“And argue with them in the best manner.” [al-Nahl: 125]

And His words:

“And do not argue with the People of the Book except in the best manner.” [al-‘Ankabūt: 46]

Otherwise, our knowledge of the falsity of what they use to oppose the Quran and the Messenger, and to turn believers away from the straight path—even if they present it as rationally established by demonstration—is too extensive to set out here.

It has thus become clear that believing the Messenger concerning what he reports cannot be made contingent upon a condition or dependent upon the absence of an impediment. Rather, he must be believed in everything he reports