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AlGhazalisIhya-Book_of_knowledge, page : 88
them, namely, the dismissal of the obvious and literal meaning of words in favor
of an esoteric interpretation of worthless value such as the Batinite method of
interpretation, which is unlawful and of great harm.
An example of the interpretations put forward by those heretics may be seen in
the assertion of one of them that in the verse where Allah addresses Moses
saying: “Go to Pharaoh, he has become exceedingly insolent” (Koran 79 verse
17) the word Pharaoh stands for the heart of Moses, the heart being the
trespasser against every man. Again when Allah said to Moses: “Cast down your
staff.” (Koran 27 verse 10), the word staff is asserted to represent anything
besides Allah on, which man may depend (and in, which he may place his trust),
and should therefore be cast away.
The fifth term to have been altered is wisdom (hikmah), since we see that it has
now become customary to apply the word wise (hakim) equally to the physician,
the poet, the astrologer, and even to the one who reads fortunes for the peasants
who squat on the street corners. Wisdom, however, is that, which Allah
of an esoteric interpretation of worthless value such as the Batinite method of
interpretation, which is unlawful and of great harm.
An example of the interpretations put forward by those heretics may be seen in
the assertion of one of them that in the verse where Allah addresses Moses
saying: “Go to Pharaoh, he has become exceedingly insolent” (Koran 79 verse
17) the word Pharaoh stands for the heart of Moses, the heart being the
trespasser against every man. Again when Allah said to Moses: “Cast down your
staff.” (Koran 27 verse 10), the word staff is asserted to represent anything
besides Allah on, which man may depend (and in, which he may place his trust),
and should therefore be cast away.
The fifth term to have been altered is wisdom (hikmah), since we see that it has
now become customary to apply the word wise (hakim) equally to the physician,
the poet, the astrologer, and even to the one who reads fortunes for the peasants
who squat on the street corners. Wisdom, however, is that, which Allah