in perceiving differences and distinguishing shared features.

This is evident in their intellects, languages, sciences, and judgments. Thus, when the Arab theologians of Islam debated these Sabian theologians—the non-Arab Romans—and explained the superiority of their own reasoning and discourse over those of their opponents, the superiority of the Muslim theologians’ discourse became apparent. This is what Judge Abū Bakr ibn al-Bāqillānī did in his Book of Subtleties, in which he refuted many of the philosophers’ corrupt doctrines concerning celestial spheres, stars, intellects, souls, the Necessary Existent, and other matters. He discussed their logic and their classification of existing things, such as their division of being into substance and accident, followed by their division of accidents into the nine categories. He also presented the Muslim theologians’ classification, which distinguishes, groups, and differentiates things in ways absent from those philosophers’ discourse.

This is because Allah taught man clear expression, as He, Exalted is He, says:

“The Most Merciful,
Taught the Quran,
Created man,
Taught him eloquence.”

And He, Exalted is He, says:

“And He taught Adam all the names.”

And He says:

“Taught man what he did not know.”

Clarity belongs to both the heart and the tongue, just as blindness and muteness may affect both the heart and the tongue. As He, Exalted is He, says:

“Deaf, mute, and blind, so they do not return.”

And He says:

“Deaf, mute, and blind, so they do not understand.”

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Why did they not ask when they did not know? The only cure for ignorance is to ask.”

A transmitted report states:

“Incapacity lies in the heart, not in the tongue.”

Or he said:

“The worst incapacity is that of the heart.”

Ibn Masʿūd used to say:

“You live in a time whose scholars are many and whose orators are few. A time will come upon you whose scholars are few and whose orators are many.”