In sum, the proofs that expose the falsity of their doctrine are exceedingly numerous, and the detailed discussion of this and related issues has been set forth elsewhere. What concerns us here is that the statements of these people conform neither to what the Messengers have conveyed nor to the dictates of sound reason: they agree with neither the authentic transmitted texts nor the clear requirements of intellect. Instead, they resort to sophistry in rational matters and to esoteric obfuscation in matters of revelation. This was manifested among the Bāṭinī sects—such as the Qarmaṭians, the Ismāʿīlīs, and the like—as well as among the "philosophical mystics" who claim that the reports of the prophets coincide with the doctrines of the philosophers. It is likewise evident in those who seek to fuse the Sacred Law with philosophy, such as Ibn Sīnā, Ibn Rushd the younger, and their peers; and a similar course is followed by the advocates of monistic unity and indwelling, like Ibn ʿArabī, Ibn Sabʿīn, and Ibn Qasī, author of Casting Off the Sandals, and others of that stripe.

These people diverge from the plain dictates of reason and the soundly transmitted reports even more than do the Muʿtazilites and similar groups, while the Muʿtazilites and their ilk are closer than they. The dialectical theologians who affirm the divine attributes and decree—such as the Karrāmiyyah, the Kullābiyyah, and the Ashʿarīs—