due to the progress of science. Keep this in mind and go back thirteen centuries. Divest yourself of the developments of the intervening time and seat yourself in the wild Arabian Peninsula. Observe it carefully and you will see an unlettered, inexperienced man, unassisted by time and place. He is alone, yet he has established in accordance with the laws of science — which have been discovered not only through human intelligence but also through very many experiments — such a system and such justice that if the human stature and potentialities were to increase through absorbing the products of man's thought, that system and Shari'a also would expand and head for eternity. It thus proclaims that it proceeds from God's pre-eternal speech and ensures the happiness of this world and the next. If you are fair, you will see that this is beyond the power of the people of that time, and even of all humankind, unless evil doubts have rotted your inborn nature's eye [^11] so that it looks only to the here and now.

[^11]:Note should be taken of this. (Author)

The Fourth: As is described in the Tenth Premise and will be mentioned in the answer to the second objection, the Shari'a offers guidance in accordance with the mental capacity of the mass of the people. Since people generally have little education and cannot comprehend abstract truths without their being presented in familiar form, the Shari'a depicts them with figures of speech and allegories and metaphors. Also, since the people perceive things through their external senses, and consider necessary what is contrary to reality and in the physical sciences have not the followed the necessary steps in their development, the Shari'a is vague and unspecific in such matters lest the people fall into the abyss of error. But it is still not devoid of hints to the truth.

Misapprehension and Note

Truthfulness shines forth in all the conduct and actions of the Most Noble Messenger (UWBP), but all his acts and all his conduct did not have to be wondrous. For the purpose of his displaying marvels was to affirm his claim to prophethood. When there was no