It is well known that self-evident knowledge is not undermined by someone’s denial of it. How, then, could a doubter’s doubt undermine it?

[The fourth response]

It may be said:

We do not concede that reason suspends judgment once it has fully conceived the matter. Rather, it suspends judgment only because the matter has not been adequately conceived, or because conjecture or desire prevents it from reaching a judgment—as with all those given to denial and rejection who dispute self-evident propositions.

It is well known that there are many such people among humankind. Allah has told us that Pharaoh’s people denied His signs even though they were inwardly certain of them.

The Most High said concerning the Jews:

“Those to whom We have given the Scripture recognize him as they recognize their own sons. Yet a group of them knowingly conceal the truth.”

[al-Baqarah: 146]

The Most High also said:

“Do you then hope that they will believe you, when a group of them used to hear the words of Allah and then knowingly distort them after they had understood them?”

[al-Baqarah: 75]

He said concerning the polytheists:

“It is not you they deny; rather, it is the signs of Allah that the wrongdoers reject.”

[al-Anʿām: 33]

Moses said to Pharaoh:

“You know that none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth has sent down these signs as clear proofs.”

[al-Isrā’: 102]

He has also told us of the lies told by various groups. Since many groups deliberately lie and reject as false what they know to be true—and this is a denial of what they know and are certain of—it is clear that some groups may agree to deny what they know, and any group