the disbelievers said—those who declared:

“If only we had listened or reasoned, we would not be among the inmates of the Blaze.”

[Surah al-Mulk: 10]

From their discourse concerning Allah’s attributes and actions, they also developed teachings that are innovations contrary to revealed law. Every innovation is misguidance, and all misguidance is contrary to reason, just as it is contrary to revealed law.

What we have pointed out here demonstrates that sound reason attests to what the messengers brought. There is no doubt that many Muslim factions err in many of their proofs and positions (1), so it is neither permissible nor possible to defend their views unreservedly. Rather, one must say nothing but the truth. Allah Most High said:

“Was not the covenant of the Scripture taken from them that they would say nothing about Allah except the truth?”

[Surah al-Arāf: 169]

If the aim is to uphold a truth upon which the people of the faith agree, or to refute a falsehood they agree is false, then that truth should be upheld by whatever method establishes it. Even if its proof is not sound according to the method of one faction among the people of the qiblah (2), it should be shown how it may be established through a method combining that faction’s position with that of another faction. For it is better for that faction to agree with one of the factions (3) among the Muslims than to depart from the religion of Islam. Likewise, it is better for it to agree with sound reason than to abandon reason altogether. The more unsound a view is in terms of revealed law, the more unsound it is rationally, for truth does not contradict itself. The messengers reported only the truth; Allah fashioned His servants with an innate disposition to recognize the truth, and the messengers were sent to perfect that innate disposition, not to alter it.

Allah Most High said:

(4)