understanding most verses of the Quran does not, for most people, depend on ten uncertain premises, as he claimed. Indeed, this is among the most blatant falsehoods. Even if understanding some verses did depend on this for certain people, that would be due to their profound ignorance and their lack of familiarity with the Messenger and what he brought. Someone who has only recently embraced Islam, or who grew up in a remote desert region far from the abode of knowledge and faith, may not know that Allah Most High has made Hajj and fasting obligatory—or even prayer—or that He has forbidden wine. This cannot be taken as the rule for most Muslims.

Likewise, if someone has not attained knowledge of the meaning of certain verses because, in his case, understanding them depends on inconclusive evidence, it does not follow that others cannot attain knowledge of their meaning and that of most of the Quran. Even supposing that such knowledge has not been attained, one may not claim that knowledge of the intended meaning is impossible, as this person did when he said that no verbal evidence could possibly be conclusive. He thus denied that any verbal expression could yield certainty. This is even more unsound than saying that no rational evidence could possibly be conclusive, because knowledge of what a speaker intends is more evident