For, if this door is opened (i.

For, if this door is opened (i.e., if it is allowed to reject matters on grounds of improbability or oddness), it will become necessary to reject most of the true beliefs that have been established through the traditions of the Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, about which and about whose characteristics we have no means of gaining knowledge, except through divine texts.

For example, some of the features of the hereafter like the Bridge (Ṣirāṭ), the Weighing Scale (Mīzān), Heaven, Hell, etc.

Indeed, even the polytheists (mushrikīn) of Mecca regarded the glad tidings of the Holy Prophet, Allah's blessings be on him and his family, about the domination of his religion and victory of his words, during the early period of proclamation (bi`tha) as improbable, (because) in those days Islam was confined only to the Messenger of Allah, Amīr al-Mu’minīn, and Khadija, peace be on them. They considered this news as ordinarily impossible.

Hence, whenever he informed the (polytheists) about matters considered impossible under normal circumstances and apparent causes, they declared: O you to whom the remembrance (dhikr) has been sent own! Verily, you are a mad man![^4] But hardly a few days had passed, when Allah made His affairs (kalima) the highest while he degraded the affairs of the disbelievers. As a result, the Arabs submitted to him and Arab and non-Arab tyrants surrendered before Islam and the Muslims.

Furthermore, there is nothing about the Mahdī which is strange or amazing in comparison with the miracles narrated from the Prophets, peace be on them, and the Divine customs in the past nations. Things like giving life to the dead, curing the blind and the lepers, the miracles of the Prophets Abraham, Moses, etc., and their occultation’s (ghayba) from their people. Thus, there is no reason to regard these mutawātir narrations as strange or improbable.

Narrations which were narrated by people who were from different regions: Mecca, Medina, Kūfa, Baṣra, Baghdad, Riyy[^5], and Qum. Some were Shia, others Sunni, Ash’arī, and Mu`tazilī. Some belonged to the first era (of Islam), while others were from later times. Furthermore, it was not possible for their narrators to come together in one congregation to fabricate them—because they lived in separate lands and times and had different religions and opinions.