his aim was thereby to distinguish conjecture and imagination from reason and knowledge—although there is no difference between them in this respect, and although this does not preclude knowing Him through these faculties even if they cannot fathom His true nature—then it is clear that his words do not achieve his purpose, besides drawing distinctions between things in a respect in which they are alike.

Ponder all of this, for it is sound reasoning [through which] one can see how these people have led Allah’s servants astray through ambiguous language, as Imam Ahmad said in describing them:

“They speak in ambiguous terms and confuse ignorant people with the ambiguous language they use.”

The Thirtieth Point

If someone were to counter him, saying, “It has been established that, in what you have mentioned, there is no difference between reason, conjecture, and imagination in their inability to fathom His true nature. Yet it has also been established that this does not necessarily mean that He cannot be known through reason. It therefore likewise follows that this does not necessarily mean that He cannot be known through conjecture and imagination,” this would be a stronger argument than his.

The Thirty-First Point

It may be said: Those who agree from among the adherents of