The teaching of the Prophets, peace and blessings be upon them, is not confined to merely conveying reports, as many suppose. Rather, they expounded rational proofs through which knowledge of divine matters is attained—proofs that these men do not possess at all.

Their teaching, may Allah bless them, thus encompasses both rational and revealed proofs. By contrast, the teaching of those who oppose them provides neither rational nor revealed proofs, while their souls harbour a pride whose ambitions they will never fulfil. As Allah Most High says:

“Those who dispute Allah’s signs without any authority having come to them have nothing in their hearts but an ambition for greatness which they will never attain. So seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”

He also says:

“Those who dispute Allah’s signs without any authority having come to them—this is greatly detested by Allah and by those who believe. Thus does Allah seal the heart of every arrogant tyrant.”

And He says:

“When their Messengers came to them with clear proofs, they rejoiced in the knowledge they possessed, and what they used to ridicule engulfed them.”

There are many similar passages in the Quran. I have written a book entitled “Repelling the Conflict between Revelation and Reason.”

Thus, because they conceived things in their minds which they thought existed in external reality, most of their knowledge in “divine science” and “mathematics” was built upon this. When someone well versed in the realities of things examines their discussions across their various sciences, he finds that they possess no knowledge of things existing in external reality except in the branch they call “natural science” and the mathematics connected with it. As for “mathematics” abstracted in the mind, it consists of judgements concerning mental quantities that have no existence in external reality. As for what they call “metaphysics,” if it is carefully examined: