The same applies to dividing a premise—called a “proposition,” meaning a declarative sentence—into particular and universal, negative and affirmative, and the like; to the statements that a true proposition has a true converse and contrapositive, that its negation is false, and that its formulation varies; and to similar matters. Likewise, they divide syllogisms into simple categorical syllogisms, conditional syllogisms based on implication or mutual exclusion, and other types. Even if most of this is sound, it contains some falsehood.

Even the truth it contains involves needless length and multiplication of words, poor expression and inarticulate explanation, and abandoning the straight, short path for a distant, circuitous route. This is not the place to explain all that. Its useful truths are innate and do not require this discipline; whatever does require it offers no benefit beyond learning their terminology and method, or their errors.

Such is the case with everyone who espouses a false doctrine: acquaintance with his discourse is indispensable to understanding his terminology and misguidance. It is therefore needed to expose his misguidance, through which those endowed with certainty recognize his true condition. It also makes clear to them what Allah has explained concerning His judgment, both in recompense and in His commands, and that these people fall under the censure directed at those who strain to produce speech that conveys nothing and multiply words to no benefit.

The purpose here is to set out several points: