truthful—so they have no proof. But whoever follows what the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, brought has followed the truth whose validity has been established by proofs, and has professed the truth whose acceptance conclusive evidence has shown to be obligatory. Whether he himself knows that proof or not, it is enough that he follows the truth established by proof, for there is no proof for anything contrary to it. He is therefore right and correct.”

He said:

“As for their assertion: ‘Whatever is not knowledge is doubt or conjecture, and knowledge is believing a thing to be as it actually is, through necessity or inference.’

They said:

‘The truth of religious beliefs cannot be known through the senses or by rational necessity. It follows that their truth can be known only through inference. If a person does not reason inferentially, he does not possess knowledge; and if he does not possess knowledge, he is ignorant, either doubting or conjecturing. If he does not know the religion, he is a disbeliever.’

He said:

‘This is not as they claim, for they have based this reasoning on a false and unsound premise: their insertion of the words “through necessity or inference” into the definition of knowledge. This is an unsound addition with which we do not agree. Nor is its validity established by the Quran, the Sunnah, consensus, language, or nature,