by reason. Thus, every matter of knowledge (1) that reason can apprehend independently (2) is among the questions of fundamentals, whose dissenter is declared an unbeliever or a sinner. Subsidiary questions are those known through the revealed law.”

They said, “The former includes questions concerning the divine attributes and predestination, while the latter includes questions concerning intercession and the departure of those guilty of major sins from the Fire.”

To this it may be said:

“The reverse of what you have stated would be more appropriate, for unbelief and sinfulness (3) are rulings of the revealed law; they are not among the judgments that reason can establish independently (4). An unbeliever is one whom Allah and His Messenger have deemed an unbeliever, and a sinner is one whom Allah and His Messenger have deemed a sinner. Likewise, a believer and a Muslim are those whom Allah and His Messenger have deemed believers and Muslims; an upright person is one whom Allah and His Messenger have deemed upright; a person whose life is inviolable is one whose life Allah and His Messenger have rendered inviolable; one blessed in the Hereafter is one whom Allah and His Messenger have declared blessed in the Hereafter; and one wretched therein is one whom Allah and His Messenger have declared wretched therein. Whatever prayer, fasting, charity, and pilgrimage Allah and His Messenger have made obligatory is obligatory. Those entitled to inherit from the deceased are those whom Allah and His Messenger have designated as heirs. A person put to death as a prescribed punishment or in legal retaliation is one whose life Allah and His Messenger (5) have made forfeit on that account. [Those entitled to the fay’ revenue and the one-fifth share are those whom Allah and His Messenger have made entitled to them] (6), and the one deserving loyalty or enmity is (* the one whom Allah