Since this Ibn Rushd inwardly held the doctrines of the philosophizers, the most he affirmed regarding Allah’s speech was a kind of general imparting of knowledge shared by humankind.

For this reason, the Jews and Christians have greater faith in Allah, His prophets, His religion, and the Hereafter than the philosophers do. Yet some Jews and Christians follow the path of these philosophizers, thus combining both forms of misguidance.

The Jews and Christians believed in some of what Allah revealed and disbelieved in some, as the Most High says:

“Indeed, those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers and wish to distinguish between Allah and His messengers, saying, ‘We believe in some and disbelieve in others,’ and wish to adopt a way in between—those are truly the disbelievers.”

[al-Nisā’: 150-151]

But those people believed in some scriptures and messengers and disbelieved in others. These philosophizers, however, may acknowledge all the prophets and scriptures, yet their belief in prophets and scriptures as such embraces some aspects and rejects others. Thus, the best among them believe in one level of Allah’s imparting knowledge and revelation to His servants, as described by Ibn Sīnā, Ibn Rushd, and others like them, but do not believe in anything beyond that.

Likewise, regarding the unseen matters conveyed by the messengers, they believe in some and disbelieve in others. The same applies to what the messengers commanded: they believe in some aspects of the prophetic message and disbelieve in others.

For this reason, the Jews and Christians may be better than they are. Yet the best among them may, in some respects, be closer to Islam than the Jews and Christians, and may be