and those who hold that a miracle’s attestation of a prophet’s truthfulness is known directly, without inference. These include many Ash‘arīs and Hanbalīs. Many of them say that this is because its failure to demonstrate his truthfulness would entail the Creator’s inability, since there is no other way.

As for the Mu‘tazilites, their reason is that, in their view, this would be morally reprehensible, and the Creator cannot permissibly do it.

The former say: It is not . . . (1), as with very many matters. I have explained elsewhere that this knowledge exists and is self-evident, and this is the position of the majority of . . . (2)