For nothing that Allah created did He give His creatures a means of producing the like of His creation, nor did He enable them [A/Q 72] [to] transform one kind of His creation into another. People only made glass because Allah did not create glass as He created gold and silver.

People of sound mind are agreed that the utmost achievement of alchemy is a skillful counterfeit that will not be detected until a long time has passed. Only one of two kinds of men becomes involved in it: a man of little sense who believes it to be genuine, or a man of little religion who deems it lawful to circulate counterfeits. Any true accounts related about it amount to no more than skillfully counterfeited material that passes muster with some assayers. Denouncing and punishing such people is therefore one of the gravest duties. Much of the ruin that has overtaken many people has come by this route. This is why the jurists did not set out any dues payable on alchemical products, as they did for mined minerals and buried treasure. Buried treasure genuinely exists—namely, ancient hoards known as matālib (treasures sought out)—whereas alchemy does not.

Anyone who claims that either the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—or Moses—peace be upon him—practiced or taught it has lied and fabricated a falsehood. Jābir ibn Hayyān, to whom the works on alchemy are attributed (1), is an unknown figure given to much confusion and contradiction (2).