His statement, “Any tyrant who abandons it, Allah will shatter; whoever seeks guidance elsewhere, Allah will lead astray,” accords with Allah’s words:

“Thus does Allah lead astray whoever is a transgressor and a doubter.” [Surah Ghāfir 34]

Likewise, His words:

“Thus does Allah seal every heart that is arrogant and tyrannical.” Surah Ghāfir 35

He thus mentions the first person’s misguidance and the second person’s tyranny. The first is a doubter who fails to attain knowledge because he seeks guidance elsewhere; the second is a tyrant who acts contrary to what the Book contains, so Allah shatters him. These two descriptions encompass knowledge and action.

This makes clear that all religious knowledge not sought from the Quran is misguidance, such as the unsound discourse of philosophers, speculative theologians, Sufis, and jurists. Any rational person who abandons Allah’s Book, seeking supremacy and corruption on earth, will be shattered by Allah. The misguided person does not attain what he seeks; rather, he is tormented by work that brings no benefit. The tyrant attains some pleasure, but Allah shatters him on its account. The latter is punished for the pleasures he pursued through falsehood, while the former is tormented by his futile striving, which brought him no benefit.

The point here is that in these two verses, Allah, glorified is He, has described those who dispute concerning His signs without any authority having come to them. He has explained in several places that this authority is proof, namely the revealed Book, as Allah Most High says:

“Or have We sent down to them an authority which