and proofs for their knowledge and learning. This includes all speculative theologians and philosophers who oppose anything of the Sunnah and hadith.
The discussion of this subject is too extensive to encompass here. What is known in general, however, is that philosophers and speculative theologians are among the worst of humankind for empty verbiage, asserting falsehood, and denying the truth in their propositions and proofs. Hardly a single proposition of theirs—Allah knows best—is free of this.
I remember once saying to one of their devoted admirers who defended them—when I was still young and had only recently reached puberty: “Everything these people say contains something false, either in their proofs or in their propositions. Either they state a true proposition but offer weak proofs for it, or the proposition itself is false.” That admirer began expressing great dismay at this and mentioned “the question of Allah’s oneness.”
I said: “Allah’s oneness is true. But mention whichever of their proofs you know, so that I may point out its flaws to you.” He quoted some of them word for word, until he understood the error. He then went to his son—who was also one of their partisan supporters—and related this to him. He said that Alī then began expressing great dismay at this. I replied: “I do not doubt Allah’s oneness, but I do doubt this particular proof.”
Several things demonstrate this to you:
- First: You find them to be the most doubtful and unsettled of people, and the weakest in knowledge and certainty. They experience this within themselves, and others observe it in them. The evidence for this is too abundant to recount here.
Their only distinction lies in their ability to raise objections, attack arguments, and debate. It is well known that raising objections and attacking arguments is not knowledge and brings no benefit, and the best