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AlGhazalisIhya-Book_of_knowledge, page : 55
worshipers, and that man knows nothing of Paradise except its attributes and
names; others hold that some are mere patterns and some are identical with the
realities, which their names signify. Likewise others hold that the limit to, which
our knowledge of Allah can reach is to admit the inability to know Him.
There are some also who claim great things on (the subject) of knowing Allah
while others say that we cannot go beyond what all the common people have
reached, namely, that Allah is, that He is omniscient and omnipotent, that He
sees and hears, and that He speaks. We, therefore, mean by the science of
revelation (that science whereby) the cover is removed so that the truth regarding
these things becomes as clear as if it were seen by the eye, leaving thereby no
room for any doubt. Man would, by himself, be capable of such a thing had not
the rust and rot resulting from the filth of this world accumulated over the surface
of the mirror of his heart. By the science of the road of the Hereafter we mean the
knowledge of how to remove from the surface of this mirror that filth, which bars
the knowing of Allah, His attributes, and His works. The mirror is cleansed and
purified by desisting from lust and emulating the prophets in all their states. Thus
to whatever extent the heart is cleansed and made to face the truth, to that same
extent will reflect His reality. But there is no way to this except through discipline
names; others hold that some are mere patterns and some are identical with the
realities, which their names signify. Likewise others hold that the limit to, which
our knowledge of Allah can reach is to admit the inability to know Him.
There are some also who claim great things on (the subject) of knowing Allah
while others say that we cannot go beyond what all the common people have
reached, namely, that Allah is, that He is omniscient and omnipotent, that He
sees and hears, and that He speaks. We, therefore, mean by the science of
revelation (that science whereby) the cover is removed so that the truth regarding
these things becomes as clear as if it were seen by the eye, leaving thereby no
room for any doubt. Man would, by himself, be capable of such a thing had not
the rust and rot resulting from the filth of this world accumulated over the surface
of the mirror of his heart. By the science of the road of the Hereafter we mean the
knowledge of how to remove from the surface of this mirror that filth, which bars
the knowing of Allah, His attributes, and His works. The mirror is cleansed and
purified by desisting from lust and emulating the prophets in all their states. Thus
to whatever extent the heart is cleansed and made to face the truth, to that same
extent will reflect His reality. But there is no way to this except through discipline