(Clarifying that revelation, fitrah, and reason do not contradict one another, and discussing the book *Dar' Ta'arud al-'Aql wa al-Naql* by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah) But fitrah
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The Shaykh : The author (may Allah have mercy on him) says: The fitrah upon which people were created and reason cannot possibly contradict each other.
"But the fitrah of Allah upon which He created them *** its essence and reason are accepted
And revelation came to confirm them, so do not *** harbor hostility, for they are not at war"
We have three things: fitrah, clear reason, and authentic transmission. These three things cannot possibly contradict each other, except due to a defect. Fitrah may contradict clear reason because it has become corrupted, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 1385. As for a sound fitrah, it cannot possibly contradict reason. Does reason contradict transmission? No, it is absolutely impossible. Clear reason, meaning that which is free from doubts and desires, is absolutely impossible to contradict authentic transmission. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah has a book titled: "Dar' Ta'arud al-'Aql wa al-Naql", which became known among scholars as *Al-'Aql wa al-Naql*. Ibn al-Qayyim passed through our discussion with praise for it, to the point that he said about it:
"And he has a book on reason and transmission *** for which there is no second like in existence"
So it is impossible for reason and transmission to contradict each other. But how do we act if they appear to contradict? The author (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
"And revelation came to confirm them, so do not *** harbor hostility, for they are not at war
Salman with the one who is guided and the one who believes *** and Allah testifies that they are Salman"
But they are Salman with whom? With the one who is guided and the one who believes. As for the denier, he claims that reason contradicts transmission, and the one who has not been granted success in reconciling them also perceives a contradiction between reason and transmission.
"But the fitrah of Allah upon which He created them *** its essence and reason are accepted
And revelation came to confirm them, so do not *** harbor hostility, for they are not at war"
We have three things: fitrah, clear reason, and authentic transmission. These three things cannot possibly contradict each other, except due to a defect. Fitrah may contradict clear reason because it has become corrupted, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Every child is born with a true faith of Islam (i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone) and his parents convert him to Judaism or Christianity or Magianism
كل مولود يولد على الفطرة فأبواه يهودانه أو ينصرانه أو يمجسانه"And he has a book on reason and transmission *** for which there is no second like in existence"
So it is impossible for reason and transmission to contradict each other. But how do we act if they appear to contradict? The author (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
"And revelation came to confirm them, so do not *** harbor hostility, for they are not at war
Salman with the one who is guided and the one who believes *** and Allah testifies that they are Salman"
But they are Salman with whom? With the one who is guided and the one who believes. As for the denier, he claims that reason contradicts transmission, and the one who has not been granted success in reconciling them also perceives a contradiction between reason and transmission.