[Al-Āmidī’s discussion in Abkār al-Afkār]

Likewise, Abū al-Hasan al-Āmidī, in his major work entitled Abkār al-Afkār, discussed the obligation of rational inquiry and presented the following argument on behalf of the opponents he mentioned:

“We do not concede that rational inquiry and inference are the only means of attaining knowledge of Allah. Rather, it may be attained by another means: Allah Most High may create that knowledge directly in the accountable person, without any intermediary; someone whose truthfulness he does not doubt, such as one supported by genuine miracles, may convey it to him; or he may attain it through spiritual wayfaring and discipline, purifying the soul and perfecting its essence until it becomes connected to the higher realms and perceives what is manifest and what is hidden, without any need for teaching or learning.”

He said in reply:

“They say: ‘We do not concede that knowledge depends on rational inquiry.’

We reply: We maintain that rational inquiry is obligatory only for someone who has not attained knowledge of Allah