And Shaykh al-Islām Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah—may Allah sanctify his soul—said:

Section: Establishing First Principles and Demonstrating the Proofs

This is done by explaining and precisely defining the foundation of knowledge and faith, as I previously wrote in explaining the foundation of knowledge of Allah. What I write here explains the difference between the prophetic approach, grounded in faith and knowledge and fostering righteousness, and the Sabian philosophical approach, together with its offshoots in speculative theology and devotional practice that run counter to the path and practice of the prophets.

The prophets, peace be upon them, first called people to worship Allah with their hearts and tongues. Worshipping Him entails knowing Him and remembering Him. Thus, the foundation of their knowledge and deeds is knowledge of Allah and acting for His sake.

This is innate, as I have established elsewhere in two or three places. I have explained that the foundation of knowledge of Allah is innate and self-evident, and that it is more firmly rooted in souls than the first principles of mathematics—as when we say that one is half of two—or the first principles of natural science—as when we say that a body