any purpose is like one who remains still and does nothing. The latter is described as inert, and the former as acting aimlessly. Both the inert and the aimless are better than sheer nonexistence, especially if endowed with all the other attributes of perfection.
Third:
The combination of these two points: despite committing themselves to the impossibilities they claimed to have escaped, and to something worse than what they sought to escape, they have gained nothing but denial of the Maker—exalted and holy is the Lord of all worlds. Such denial is the root of all falsehood, disbelief, lies, contradiction, and evil in existence, just as faith in Him is the root of all truth, guidance, truthfulness, rectitude, and goodness in existence.
Likewise, they may be answered concerning the performance or nonperformance of reprehensible acts in several ways:
First:
This consequence is also binding upon you regarding what you describe as necessarily existent in itself and eternal. It is inevitable on every supposition, and there is no escaping it.
Second:
It may be said: At most, allowing the possibility of confirming a liar as truthful, or of lying, can be said to entail the invalidity of the prophetic message and reports concerning reward and punishment. This objectionable consequence is far less serious than that of denying the Maker. Can it, then, be rationally permissible for us to deny the Maker and His creation of the world because affirming these entails the invalidity of prophethood and the promise of reward and threat of punishment?!
The reply is: If you deny Him, prophethood and the promise of reward and threat of punishment are likewise invalidated, along with many times as many other matters of religion. Thus, assuming this consequence follows on either supposition, it cannot be used as an argument for denying one of them, when that denial entails so many objectionable consequences. Rather, the most that can be said is that, if it is assumed to be an inevitable consequence, then it is not an objectionable one. It is well known that acknowledging the Maker, exalted is He, while disbelieving in the messengers and the Resurrection,