for attaining knowledge of the Maker, Most High, makes a claim that is a false innovation, contrary to what is self-evidently known from the religion of Islam.

For this reason, scholars generally acknowledge this, and acknowledge that following this approach is not obligatory. Indeed, Abū al-Hasan al-Ashʿarī stated in his Epistle to the People of the Frontier that following this approach is an innovation forbidden in the religion of the messengers, to which none of the prophets or their followers ever called.

Those who say that this approach is not obligatory may nevertheless say that it is valid in itself, but that pursuing it is forbidden because of its dangers. This is stated by a number of scholars, including al-Ashʿarī, al-Khattābī, and others.

The early generations and the leading scholars, however, deny that it is valid in itself and criticize it for containing false discourse. They therefore condemned this discourse because it is inherently false and leads not to truth but to falsehood. Among their statements are:

“False discourse points only to falsehood.”

“If someone bequeathed books of learning, books of speculative theology would not be included.”

“Whoever seeks religion through speculative theology falls into heresy.”

And other statements of this kind.

At this point, we are presenting what no Muslim can dispute: we know with self-evident certainty that Allah, Most High, did not mention this approach in His Book, that His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not command it, and that he did not make the faith of his followers dependent upon it. If faith in Allah could only be attained through it, explaining it would have been among the most important matters of religion—indeed, it would have been the very foundation of religion—especially since it would have encompassed two great foundations: establishing the existence of the Maker and affirming His transcendence