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AlGhazalisIhya-Book_of_Destructive_Matters_of_Life, page : 9
religion is revealed in it.‟ Bad influences, by contrast, are like smoke, which
clouds over the heart‟s mirror until it is entirely veiled from Allah, which is the
„heart‟s rust‟ mentioned in the Koran.
An Exposition on the Heart’s Similitude, particularly in Relation to
Knowledge
The heart, as the seat of knowledge, is like a mirror, which reflects the specific
nature of things. Intelligibles are forms reflected in it, while the intelligence is its
actual reflection in the mirror.
Although man‟s heart alone is capable of knowing all realities, various obstacles
may impede this: (i) The mirror may be unfinished due to youth; (ii) It may be
veiled by sins; (iii) Worldly distractions may turn it away from Allah; (iv) It may be
tarnished by the imitative acceptance (taqlid) of dogma; (v) Ignorance.
There are three levels of knowledge: (i) the faith of the ordinary people (awamm),
which is to be gained through imitative acceptance from people believed to be
clouds over the heart‟s mirror until it is entirely veiled from Allah, which is the
„heart‟s rust‟ mentioned in the Koran.
An Exposition on the Heart’s Similitude, particularly in Relation to
Knowledge
The heart, as the seat of knowledge, is like a mirror, which reflects the specific
nature of things. Intelligibles are forms reflected in it, while the intelligence is its
actual reflection in the mirror.
Although man‟s heart alone is capable of knowing all realities, various obstacles
may impede this: (i) The mirror may be unfinished due to youth; (ii) It may be
veiled by sins; (iii) Worldly distractions may turn it away from Allah; (iv) It may be
tarnished by the imitative acceptance (taqlid) of dogma; (v) Ignorance.
There are three levels of knowledge: (i) the faith of the ordinary people (awamm),
which is to be gained through imitative acceptance from people believed to be