are at peace with acknowledging Allah Most High, and this is part of their innate nature. Thus, when His name is mentioned to any of them, he finds himself remembering Him and turning towards Him, just as when a created thing already known to him is mentioned.

Someone who feigns ignorance and claims not to know Him is regarded by people as displaying far greater pretended ignorance than someone who claims not to know of prophets, kings, cities, and events whose existence has been established by widespread reports. They regard this as a greater form of sophistry than other kinds.

Thus, anyone who surveys people’s assertions that contradict sensory perception and reason will find far more sophists advancing such assertions than sophists denying the Creator. This shows that knowledge of Him is more firmly and powerfully rooted in human nature: the servant’s existence necessarily entails His existence, and the servant’s needs depend upon Him, glorified and exalted is He. Indeed, everything that occurs to the servant’s heart and everything he desires necessarily entails His existence, and the thoughts and desires of servants are limitless.

The mind’s transitions from something to what it necessarily entails are not limited. Indeed, the hearts’ acknowledgment of Him may require no intermediate step or means of inference at all. Rather, hearts are innately disposed to acknowledge Him more strongly than they are disposed to acknowledge any other existing thing.

The most notorious person known for feigning ignorance and professing to deny the Creator was Pharaoh, yet inwardly he was certain, as Moses said to him:

“You certainly know that none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth has sent down these signs as clear proofs.”