He said:

“The proof that their position is false is as follows: the reality of faith, as it pertains to the believer, is the soul’s assurance and the heart’s repose in knowing what one believes, grounded in evidence appropriate to it. No layperson is without this.

“To explain: if a layperson were asked, ‘How did you come to know your Lord?’ he would reply, ‘Because He alone built and raised this heaven; no entity described as a body or a substance shares in this with Him.’

“This is drawn from the words of the Most High:

‘And at the sky—how it is raised?’

“and from all the other verses that mention the sky and reflection upon it. These verses are the foundation for scholars as well. What distinguishes them from ordinary people in this regard is their extensive, elegant exposition, their analytical distinctions, their treatment of subtle and abstruse details, and their explanation of insights that a layperson grasps in his heart but cannot express with his tongue. In this respect, they are like two men who both know a particular matter, but one has greater ability to elucidate it and explain it more eloquently.

“This comes down to one point: it has been established that Allah Most High has charged everyone with knowing Him and has guaranteed that His demands will not exceed their capacity, saying:

‘Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity,’

and:

‘Allah does not burden any soul beyond what He has given it.’

“Truly knowing something means having knowledge of it as it really is, and this cannot be attained with regard to