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The_Savior_from_Spiritual_Error, page : 67
these are also true in his eyes.
Weaker intellects take men as criterion for truth and not the truth as
criterion of men. The intelligent man follows Ali, may Allah be pleased with
him, when he said, “Do not know the truth by the men, but know the truth,
and then you will know who are truthful”. The intelligent man knows the
truth, then examines the assertion. If it is true, he accepts it, whether the
speaker is a truthful person or not. Indeed, he is often anxious to get the
truth from those in error, because he knows that gold is found mixed in
gravel and ore. The banker suffers no harm if he takes the counterfeiter‟s
wallet; relying on his skill, he picks the true gold from the counterfeit. Only
the common man and not the banker abstains from dealing with the
counterfeiter. It is not the strong swimmer who keeps to the shore, but the
clumsy guy; not the snakecharmer who is barred from touching the snake,
but the ignorant boy.
The majority of men are dominated by a high opinion of their own skill
Weaker intellects take men as criterion for truth and not the truth as
criterion of men. The intelligent man follows Ali, may Allah be pleased with
him, when he said, “Do not know the truth by the men, but know the truth,
and then you will know who are truthful”. The intelligent man knows the
truth, then examines the assertion. If it is true, he accepts it, whether the
speaker is a truthful person or not. Indeed, he is often anxious to get the
truth from those in error, because he knows that gold is found mixed in
gravel and ore. The banker suffers no harm if he takes the counterfeiter‟s
wallet; relying on his skill, he picks the true gold from the counterfeit. Only
the common man and not the banker abstains from dealing with the
counterfeiter. It is not the strong swimmer who keeps to the shore, but the
clumsy guy; not the snakecharmer who is barred from touching the snake,
but the ignorant boy.
The majority of men are dominated by a high opinion of their own skill