the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would never have invited anyone to Islam without presenting these proofs to him.’ Yet all the Arabs acknowledged the existence of the Creator, glorified and exalted is He. Hence Allah Most High said:

‘If you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they will surely say, “Allah.”’

It is nevertheless possible for someone to be so slow-witted by nature and dull in understanding that he cannot grasp any of the proofs set forth by the Lawgiver for the general public. Such a person is exceedingly rare; if one does exist, his duty is to believe in Allah on the basis of what he hears.”

He said:
“Such is the position of the Hashwiyya regarding the plain meaning of the revealed Law.”

He said:
“As for the Ashʿarīs, they held that the existence of the Creator Most High could only be affirmed through reason. However, they pursued methods other than those taught by revelation, to which Allah drew attention and through which He called people to believe in Him. Their well-known method rested on demonstrating that the world came into existence, and they in turn based