and accidents—for example, the belief held by some of them that they are alike, or that accidents cannot persist, and other matters beyond the scope of this discussion. When someone unfamiliar with the true meanings of these terms hears them, he supposes that they are accepted propositions, on a par with authentic reports and rulings unanimously agreed upon among Muslims. He does not realize that people disagree greatly about them, that these thinkers make grave errors concerning them, and that the matter becomes clear when precise clarification is sought.