[Ibn Hazm’s Response]

Ibn Hazm said:

“Those who held inference to be obligatory argued on the basis of the consensus that imitation is blameworthy, and that whatever is not known through inference is imitation.

“They said: ‘True religious beliefs cannot be distinguished from false ones through the senses, but only through inference. Whoever has not attained knowledge is in doubt.’ They also cited the Prophet’s words, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in his account of the person questioned in his grave. He said:

‘As for the believer—or the one who is certain—he says: “He is Allah’s servant and Messenger.” As for the hypocrite or the doubter, he says: “I do not know. I heard people saying something, so I said it too.”’”

He said in response:

“Imitation consists in accepting the word of someone other than the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, whom Allah has not commanded us to follow and whose word He has not commanded us to accept. Rather, He has forbidden us to do so. As for accepting the word of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, whom