.” He thus made the Scripture sent down from heaven the judge between people concerning their disagreements.

Allah Most High also says:

“O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. If you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger.”

He thus commanded that disputes be referred to Allah and the Messenger.

[The words of ‘Abd al-Wahhāb ibn Abī al-Faraj al-Maqdisī]

For this reason, those who maintain that knowledge of Allah is not attained through reason alone have said what ‘Abd al-Wahhāb ibn Abī al-Faraj and others said:

“We maintain that if knowledge of Allah were attained through reason, every rational person would necessarily know Allah Most High, and all would agree on a single view concerning His oneness. Yet we find groups of rational people who are unbelievers, despite their sound intellects and subtle reasoning. This shows that such knowledge is not attained through reason, for reason is one sense among the senses.

“The senses do not differ concerning their objects. Do you not see that those who can see do not disagree about what sight perceives—black, red, green, yellow, animals, and stones? This shows that knowledge of Allah is attained through something other than reason, since people differ concerning this knowledge but agree concerning what is apprehended through reason and the senses.”

[Ibn Taymiyyah’s commentary]

Their designation of reason as one of the senses has been disputed by groups among their own associates and others, such as Abū al-Hasan ibn al-Zāghūnī and others.

Upon close examination, the disagreement over this proves to be verbal. Accordingly, they said:

“If reason were the cause of knowing the Creator, such knowledge would necessarily exist when reason is present and cease when it is absent. Likewise, visible things are perceived when sight is present, while knowledge and sight of them cease when sight is absent. The same applies to audible things and all other objects of sense.