leading philosophers such as Pythagoras, Socrates, and Plato came to Syria and learned wisdom from Luqmān and the companions of David and Solomon. How, then, could what the Torah indicates and is understood to mean contradict clear reason, which no rational person should doubt, with this becoming apparent only among its adherents and not among its enemies?

Rather, all groups agree in venerating the one who brought the Torah and submitting to him. Could it then be a book filled with statements whose apparent meaning is lies and fabrications against Allah, describing Him in ways that are impossible for Him and cannot rightly be attributed to Him, without rational people openly contradicting and challenging it?

Anyone who considers such matters will find that a man may write a book on medicine, arithmetic, grammar, or jurisprudence, compose a sermon or letter, or write a poem or a composition in rajaz verse. If he makes a single grammatical error or a single mistake in meaning, people will not remain silent: they will discuss it, expose it, and move from an excess of falsehood to the truth. This is so even though the author of those words does not call upon them to obey and follow him or condemn those who disagree with him—let alone declare them unbelievers and permit fighting and reviling them.

If, then, the one who brought the Quran calls upon people to obey and follow him, and to acknowledge him as the one who must be obeyed and never opposed in anything, small or great; says that happiness belongs to those who obey him and misery to those who oppose him; honors his followers and promises them every good; and curses his opponents and declares their lives, property, and women lawful—then it is well known that such a claim is made only by the most perfect of people and those most entitled to it, namely the truthful messengers, or by the most deceitful of people and those least entitled to it, such as false claimants to prophethood.