Does not the call to prioritize revelation over reason contradict the fact that the proofs for prophethood, such as scientific and linguistic inimitability and prophecies, are essentially rational arguments?

The intellect (al-ʿaql) is not a physical organ, but rather a process that a human being performs using their nervous system to process information and reflect on sensory input. It is susceptible to both correctness and error. A sound intellect is a balance that distinguishes truth from falsehood and is a prerequisite for understanding sciences and the rectification of deeds. However, it is not independent; rather, it is an instinct within the self that needs the light of faith and the Qur'an to be complete.

The process of intellection, like any human process, is subject to error and correctness and is influenced by multiple factors, such as a person's awareness of the principles of thought and the accuracy of the input information. Therefore, "the intellect is not infallible" means that intellectual processes are not infallible practices. Their strength depends on the soundness of their path, and their weakness results from errors that may occur.

When we arrive at intellectual proofs for the existence of God, prophethood, and the truth of the Qur'an, this is the result of sound intellectual practices that derive their strength from the soundness of the steps of intellection and the power of the data (such as the magnificent design of the universe and the eloquence of the Qur'an).

The error some fall into, like the Mu'tazilah, is treating the intellect as a fixed entity with inherent value, which leads to exaggerating the estimation of their subjective intellectual practices and considering them to be the lauded intellect, even though they are processes that can be praised or blamed depending on the soundness of their steps and the accuracy of their data. The deviation of the Mu'tazilah stemmed from their excessive glorification of their erroneous intellectual processes, which led them to prioritize these over the texts of the Sacred Law, to interfere with them in matters of the unseen, and to oppose the Salaf.

Thus, hearing, sight, and intellect are all important tools, but they are not infallible and can lead to incorrect results if not used properly or if they contradict the texts of revelation. Therefore, not every intellectual process is praiseworthy, and there is no abstract entity called "the intellect" that is praised absolutely.