in the Quran are of this kind, as in the proofs He presents of His lordship, divinity, oneness, knowledge and power, the possibility of resurrection, and other sublime and lofty matters and truths concerning the Divine. These constitute the noblest knowledge and the greatest means by which souls attain perfection through understanding. Yet their perfection necessarily requires perfection in both knowledge and intention. Worshipping Allah alone is therefore indispensable; it encompasses knowing Him, loving Him, and humbling oneself before Him. As for His use of signs as evidence, this is frequent in the Quran.

The distinction between signs and inferential reasoning is that a “sign” is a mark: evidence that entails the very thing it indicates. What it indicates is not a universal notion shared by the object sought and something else. Rather, knowledge of the sign itself entails knowledge of the very thing indicated, just as the sun is a sign of daytime.

Allah Most High says:

“We made the night and the day two signs. We effaced the sign of the night and made the sign of the day illuminating.”

Thus, simply knowing that the sun has risen entails knowing that daytime has begun. Likewise, with the prophethood of Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—knowledge of his prophethood specifically does not entail a notion shared by him and others. The same applies to the signs of the Lord Most High: knowledge of them itself entails knowledge of His own holy Self—exalted is He—not knowledge of a universal shared by Him and others.

Knowing that one thing entails another is what gives evidence its force. Every piece of evidence that exists must therefore entail what it indicates. Knowing that a particular thing entails the particular object sought is closer to our innate disposition than knowing that every particular instance