 have perused the books compiled in this art and found them filled with two types of speech the first is the history of their news and their conditions from the beginning of their affair to the appearance of their misguidance and the naming of each one of their preachers in every country and the explanation of their events in the eras that have passed. this is an art that i see as being occupied with evening conversations and that is more appropriate for the people of history and news. as for the scholars of the shariah let their speech be confined to the important matters of religion and establishing proof of what is the clear truth for every action has its men.
ولقد طالعت الكتب المصنفة في هذا الفن فصادفتها مشحونة بفنين من الكلام فن في تواريخ أخبارهم وأحوالهم من بدء امرهم الى ظهور ضلالهم وتسمية كل واحد من دعاتهم في كل قطر من الاقطار وبيان وقائعهم فيما انقرض من الأعصار فهذا فن أرى التشاغل به اشتغالا بالأسمار وذلك أليق بأصحاب التواريخ والأخبار فأما علماء الشرع فليكن كلامهم محصورا في مهمات الدين وإقامة البرهان على ما هو الحق المبين فلكل عمل رجال