Building on that spurious distinction, one of them will say, “This has not reached me through tawātur, so it is no proof against me.”

He is told in reply, “Then listen, as others have listened, and knowledge will come to you.”

This is akin to someone who claims, “The sighting of the new moon—or anything else—can only be known by direct perception, and I have not seen it.” He is answered, “Look at it as others looked, and you will see it—provided you are not simply disbelieving the witnesses.”

It is also like the one who argues, “Certainty about prophethood can be attained only after rational investigation, yet I refuse to investigate, or I do not even know that investigation is obligatory until I first conduct it.”

A reply to such people is that God’s proof through His messengers is established by the mere possibility of acquiring knowledge; it is not a condition of His proof that those addressed actually possess that knowledge. Thus the unbelievers’ refusal to listen to the Qur’an and reflect upon it did not stop God’s proof from being binding on them, nor does their turning away from what is transmitted from the prophets or from reading the reports handed down about them. The opportunity is there, and that suffices.

For that reason the Exalted said:

“When Our revelations are recited to him, he turns away in arrogance as though he had never heard them—as though there is deafness in his ears. So give him glad tidings of a painful punishment.”

He also said:

“The disbelievers said, ‘Do not listen to this Qur’an, and drown it out with noise so that you might prevail.’ We shall certainly make those who disbelieve taste a severe punishment.”

And He, exalted be He, said:

“The Messenger has said, ‘My Lord, my people have taken this Qur’an as something forsaken.’ Thus We have appointed for every prophet an enemy among the criminals; but your Lord is sufficient as a Guide and a Helper.”

And He said:

“So whenever guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance will never go astray nor suffer. But whoever turns away from My remembrance will surely have a constrained life, and on the Day of Resurrection We shall raise him blind.’ He will say, ‘My Lord, why have You raised me blind when I used to see?’ He will say, ‘Thus…’”}