Moreover, as for the doctrinal position: if you knew it to be valid independently of this method, that would not establish the soundness of the method itself. A person may falsely attribute a statement to someone else even when that statement is true. Many people narrate from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—(1) a statement that is true in itself, although the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—(2) never said it. Thus, the fact that a statement is true in itself (3) does not necessarily mean that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said it. Conversely, if you knew the doctrinal position to be valid only through this method, you could not establish the validity of the method from the validity of the doctrinal position, for that would lead to circularity.

It is therefore established that, in either case, the soundness of this hadith cannot be known merely from its agreement with the doctrinal position, whether that position is known to be valid or its validity is not known.

Moreover, (4) anyone possessing even the slightest knowledge and fairness knows that transmitted reports contain both truth and falsehood (5), and that people have fabricated reports concerning faults and merits, just as they have fabricated reports concerning other matters. They have fabricated what agrees with the doctrinal position and what conflicts with it.

We know that they fabricated many of the reports they narrated (6) concerning the merits of Abū Bakr, Umar, and Uthmān, just as they fabricated many of the reports they narrated (7) concerning the merits of Alī. Among the sectarians, none lie more than the Rāfida. This is not the case with others: the Khārijites (8) hardly ever lie; indeed, despite their religious innovation and misguidance, they are among the most truthful of people.