This contradictory disbelief and others like it account for the widespread view among Muslims that logic leads to heretical unbelief. Someone who does not understand the true nature of logic and its implications may challenge this view, supposing that logic in itself entails neither the truth nor the falsity of Islam, neither the affirmation nor the negation of any truth, but is merely an instrument whose rules, when observed, safeguard against errors in reasoning. This is not so. Rather, much of what they have set out in logic entails sophistry in rational matters and Qarmatian esoteric distortion of revealed texts. Whoever embraces its implications may thus be among those of whom Allah Most High says:

“And they will say, ‘If only we had listened or reasoned, we would not be among the companions of the Blaze.’”
[al-Mulk: 10].

This matter is discussed at length elsewhere. Many people find it confusing only because its terminology is general, has multiple meanings, and is obscure. Once the intended meanings of these expressions are explained, the true nature of the intelligible meanings becomes clear, as we shall point out, Allah Most High willing.

The point here is that, when something is commanded which has necessary concomitants that exist only in conjunction with it—whether they precede its existence or follow it—the one issuing the command may intend to command those concomitants as well. He would thus be commanding both the thing itself and its necessary concomitant, so that whoever omits both is punished for each omission. Alternatively, only one of the two, rather than the other, may be intended. Likewise, when something is prohibited which is necessarily entailed by something else, the one issuing the prohibition may also intend that the latter be avoided because of the harm it contains. Alternatively, avoiding it may not itself be intended, but may merely follow as a necessary consequence.

This reveals the underlying point in the question of being unable to distinguish one’s sister from an unrelated woman, or a properly slaughtered animal from one that died without lawful slaughter, and similar cases in which a person is forbidden to act upon either alternative because they cannot be distinguished.

One group says: “Both are forbidden.” Another group says: “Rather, what is actually forbidden is the sister and the carrion; as for the other