what entails it, as those who make their arguments for negation the foundation do—even though their opponents demonstrate the unsoundness and inconsistency of those arguments and refute them through what is known necessarily and through rational arguments. They subordinate the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and the consensus of the early generations of the Muslim community and its leading scholars to those arguments, refusing to accept any judgment or testimony from them that conflicts with those arguments.

In this respect, these people are worse than those who claim that Musaylimah stands alongside Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), or is of the same kind as him. For the latter do not openly profess to abandon Muhammad’s commands (peace and blessings be upon him) in favour of Musaylimah’s, even though this is a necessary consequence of their position, whereas these people declare this openly. We have already explained that their arguments constitute associating partners with Allah, setting up rivals to Him—Mighty and Majestic—and equating others with Him.