4. This belief is contrary to the stance of the early generations and the majority of scholars.

In "Al-Hujjah fi Bayan al-Mahajjah" (2/120-121), Al-Asbahani states: "We reject the methodology of the theologians in what they have established, for they claim that the first obligation upon a person is to contemplate in order to know the Creator. THIS IS AN INNOVATED OPINION, unprecedented among the early generations and the leading scholars of the faith. If you were to examine all their statements and writings, you would not find this mentioned anywhere, neither transmitted from the Prophet, nor from the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, nor from the followers after them. How could the first obligation be hidden from them when they are the foremost of this nation and the intermediaries between us and the Messenger of Allah? If it were possible for the first obligation to be unknown to the Companions and the followers, such that they did not clarify it to anyone despite their intense concern for religious matters and their perfect care, only for these theologians to discover it through their keen insight as they claim, then perhaps other obligations were also hidden from them! If this were possible, then the religion would be lost and forgotten. We base our statements on their statements. If the foundation is gone, how can it be built upon? We seek refuge in Allah from an assertion that leads to such a conclusion, which results in abandoning the faith and deeming past scholars misguided. 5. This investigation which they have obliged upon Muslims in order to establish Allah's existence is ALREADY INGRAINED IN HUMAN NATURE! تحصيل حاصل Every person inherently knows their Lord, the Almighty, and there is no state in which they did not acknowledge Him before contemplation and deduction, except for those whose innate disposition has been corrupted from the outset. Allah ﷻ said: {فِطۡرَتَ ٱللهِ ٱلَّتِی فَطَرَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَیۡهَا} "The natural disposition [fitrah (i.e. Allâh’s Islâmic Monotheism)] which Allah instilled in mankind." [Surah Ar-Rūm: 30] {وَجَحَدُوا۟ بِهَا وَٱسۡتَیۡقَنَتۡهَاۤ أَنفُسُهُمۡ ظُلۡمࣰا وَعُلُوࣰّا} "They rejected them, while their [inner] selves were convinced thereof." [Surah An-Naml: 14] Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated from Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Every child is born upon the fitrah." In At-Tamheed, Ibn Abdil Barr rahimahullah mentions a number of explanations of Al-Fitrah given by the Salaf and concludes that it is: Monotheism, which entails acknowledging the oneness of Allah, the Exalted, and His sole right to be worshipped. Although the specifics of this is something derived from the teachings of the prophets and messengers. Thus, a Muslim is not obligated to contemplate and reflect upon the universe, nor is he held accountable for not doing so as long as he possesses the foundation of faith. However, by contemplating and reflecting on the universe, a Muslim increases in faith and certainty, as Allah the Exalted said in His address to Ibrahim, peace be upon him: {قال بلى ولكن ليطمئن قلبي} "He said, 'Yes, but so that my heart may be at ease'" (Al-Baqarah 2:260). 6. If they say, "Knowing Allah is obligatory and this cannot be attained except through contemplation and reflection, and that which is necessary for fulfilling an obligation becomes obligatory itself," we say as stated by 'Izz Ad-Deen Ibn Abdis-Salam: النظر لا يجب على المكلفين إلا أن يكونوا شاكين فيما يجب اعتقاده فيلزمهم البحث عنه، والنظر فيه إلى أن يعتقدوه، أو يعرفوه. "Contemplation is not obligatory upon those who are religiously accountable unless they have doubts about what they are required to believe. In such cases, they must seek and contemplate until they believe or understand it." What they have stated about the obligation of contemplation is based on the assumption that every person initially does not know Allah until they contemplate, which untrue as proven by the previous point.