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As for their being more knowledgeable and wiser than those who came after them, and the charge of ignorance and vacuity applying more aptly to their opponents, we shall demonstrate this through rational comparison, without appealing to faith in the Messenger itself. As Allah says:

“We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth.”

He thus states that He will show them visible, observable signs until it becomes clear to them that the Quran is true. Then He says:

“Is it not sufficient that your Lord is a Witness over all things?”

That is, through what Allah, your Lord, declares in the Quran and His testimony to that effect.

We say: It is well known that the people of hadith share with every group the qualities of excellence with which that group adorns itself, while surpassing them in qualities they do not possess. Anyone who disputes with them must invoke some other method concerning the points on which he disagrees with them—such as reason, analogy, considered opinion, discourse, reflection, inference, argument, debate, spiritual unveiling, spiritual address, ecstasy, spiritual taste, and the like.

The people of hadith possess the purest and finest elements of all these methods. They are the most complete in intellect, the fairest in analogy, the most accurate in opinion, the soundest in discourse, the most correct in reflection, the best guided in inference, the most upright in debate, the fullest in discernment, the truest in inspiration, the keenest in vision and spiritual unveiling, and the most accurate in hearing