And at the end of metaphysics comes the section designated by the letter lām, in which the First Teacher briefly discusses the Necessary Existent in Himself—as though He were the final cause toward which motion is directed, just as the First Teacher established His existence through an argument from motion—mentioning only a few of His attributes. This was the subject of a statement Ibn Sīnā used to make (1). Such, then, is the First Teacher’s knowledge of Allah.

As for prophethood and messengers, these philosophers have no known discussion of them, either denying or affirming them. As for the later philosophers: the upright faith—the Abrahamic faith of monotheism—rose to prominence first through the prophethood of Jesus, when the Christians prevailed over the kingdom of the Sabians in Syria, Egypt, the Byzantine lands, and elsewhere, and then through the prophethood of the Seal of the Messengers. Allah brought forth from the light of prophethood a sun that blotted out the light of the stars. The early generations lived in its light for a long time. Then some of the light of prophethood became obscured, and some books by foreign philosophers from the Byzantine lands, Persia, and India were translated into Arabic during the Abbasid dynasty.

Then, during the reign of al-Ma’mūn, their books were sought from the Byzantine lands, translated into Arabic, and studied by people. As a result, various religious innovations arose. Most of their learning that became widespread belonged to the mathematical sciences, such as arithmetic and astronomy; the natural sciences, such as medicine; or logic. As for divine science, their discussion of it is scant, and, scant though it is, they themselves do not regard most of it as certain. Yet the Muslims possess knowledge of divine matters inherited from the Seal of the Messengers that has filled the world with light and guidance,