This contradicts him. The Lawgiver has the right to rule and set limits as he wishes. How can the one who seeks to ascertain his intent and deduce his purpose do so, when this is neither consistent nor exhaustive? We have found that the Lawgiver has set the duration of pregnancy at two years and five months, and has set limits in all matters he has legislated. The two righteous Caliphs said that he has the right to set limits as he wishes and to leave things unrestricted as he wishes, and that reason has no place there and no bearing on it.

It becomes clear from these sayings, when we combine them, that the Mahdi considers that reason does not contradict the Sharia. However, in its rulings, there are those whose wisdom reason can grasp, and there are those whose understanding is beyond its grasp. If something is beyond understanding, it is not a violation of the rational principle.

Reason does not establish the Sharia: The Mahdi devoted great effort to establishing this saying. It is repeated in many of his messages and works, and he also dedicated a special message to it, which is "A Message on the Sharia Not Being Established by Reason." The meaning of establishment in the phrase is not inference, as might come to mind, but rather creation and invention. Thus, the meaning is that reason has no role in inventing Sharia rulings, and "it has no place in prohibition and permissibility." This is what he clearly affirmed in his statement, "Reason has no entry into the hearing [meaning the Sharia here], and the hearing has no path except divine revelation. And the Lawgiver has the right to rule as he wishes."

He presented a series of proofs to establish this meaning, which we summarize as follows: The first proof: Reason contains only possibility and permissibility. These are doubts. Doubt is the opposite of certainty. The rulings of the Sharia are certain, so they cannot be taken from doubt, because a thing cannot be taken from its opposite. The intention behind reason containing only possibility and permissibility relates to...

Ibn Tumart - A Message on Prayer: Ibn Tumart - The Most Sought-After Thing: "Reason has no place in the Sharia." And in "The Most Sought-After Thing," he said: "Ibn Tumart - A Message on Prayer."

See this proof and the following proofs in: A Message on the Sharia Not Being Established by Reason. Also see: Ahmad. And Yahya Al-Huwaidi, in Kalam: 667-668. The Most Sought-After Thing: 1031.