of reason.

Moreover, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:

‘I have been commanded to fight the people until they say, “There is no god worthy of worship but Allah.” Once they say this, their lives and property are protected from me.’

Thus he judged their faith valid when they were called to the two testimonies of faith and responded to that call, without their undertaking rational inquiry or inference.”

He said:

“The opposing side argues that Allah commanded reflection on His signs and the drawing of inferences from them. He, the Exalted, said:

‘And in yourselves—will you not then see?’

And He said:

‘Do they not look at the camels, how they were created?’

And He said:

‘Have they not considered the dominion of the heavens and the earth?’

And He said:

‘Have they not looked at the sky above them, how We built it?’

And He said:

‘Say: Look at what is in the heavens and the earth.’

Since He commanded this, it indicates that rational inquiry yields knowledge.”

He said:

“The answer is that we do not deny that knowledge can be attained through it. Our discussion concerns only whether knowledge can also be attained by other means. We have demonstrated that it can, in the manner already mentioned.”

[Ibn Taymiyyah’s commentary]

One might say: His statement that “knowledge may be attained through revelation” is conceded. However, knowledge may be attained through revelation in several ways:

First, revelation draws attention to the rational method by which the Creator is known. This method is therefore grounded in both reason and revelation.