Although we have demonstrated the falsity of much that this Rāfidī transmits, it is well known that many of those (1) who transmit such material—neither this man nor others like him—did not deliberately lie. Rather, the falsehood arose either from deliberate lying (2) on the part of some of them, or from error (3) and poor memory. The rest then accepted it because of their ignorance and their own desires. Desire makes one blind and deaf: a person ruled by desire accepts whatever accords with it without any proof establishing its truth, and rejects whatever conflicts with it without any proof warranting its rejection.

Among all the sects, none denies the truth and affirms falsehood more than the Rāfidah. The leading figures and authorities of their doctrine—those who invented and founded it—were hypocritical heretics, as has been related by more than one scholar.

This is evident to anyone who reflects upon it. The doctrine of the Kharijites, by contrast, arose from ignorance concerning the interpretation of the Quran and from excessive severity regarding sins. Likewise, the doctrines of the proponents of the divine threat and the Qadarites arose from regarding sins as exceedingly grave. As for the Murji’ites, their original purpose was to refrain from declaring anyone who believed in the messengers an unbeliever. Hence, no one has said that the leading figures who originated these doctrines were hypocritical heretics. This is unlike the Rāfidah, whose leaders were such, although many of the Rāfidah are neither hypocrites nor unbelievers. Rather, some of them possess faith and righteous deeds; some are mistaken and have their errors forgiven; and some are guilty of sin but may hope for Allah’s forgiveness. Yet ignorance of the meaning of the Quran and hadith