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The_Foundations_of_the_Islamic_Belief, page : 63
and
peace be upon him - said, "Abu-Bakr has excelled you not by excessive fasting and much prayer, but
by
a secret which rests in his chest." No doubt this secret was connected with the foundations of
Religion
and not removed from it. And whatever belonged to the foundations of Religion could not have been
hidden from the other Companions through its outward form.
Sahl al-Tustari - may Allah be pleased with him - said, "The learned person possesses three kinds of
knowledge: visible knowledge which he imparts to people in general; invisible knowledge which he
cannot reveal except to its own people; and finally a confidential knowledge which lies between him
and
His Lord and which he cannot reveal to anyone." One of the gnostics said, "To divulge the secret of
the
Lord is equivalent to unbelief." Some one also said, "The Lord has a secret, if revealed, prophecy
will
become obsolete. Prophecy has a secret, if divulged, knowledge will become useless, and the learned
people of Allah have a secret, if disclosed, the Religion will become of no force." If he who had
said this
peace be upon him - said, "Abu-Bakr has excelled you not by excessive fasting and much prayer, but
by
a secret which rests in his chest." No doubt this secret was connected with the foundations of
Religion
and not removed from it. And whatever belonged to the foundations of Religion could not have been
hidden from the other Companions through its outward form.
Sahl al-Tustari - may Allah be pleased with him - said, "The learned person possesses three kinds of
knowledge: visible knowledge which he imparts to people in general; invisible knowledge which he
cannot reveal except to its own people; and finally a confidential knowledge which lies between him
and
His Lord and which he cannot reveal to anyone." One of the gnostics said, "To divulge the secret of
the
Lord is equivalent to unbelief." Some one also said, "The Lord has a secret, if revealed, prophecy
will
become obsolete. Prophecy has a secret, if divulged, knowledge will become useless, and the learned
people of Allah have a secret, if disclosed, the Religion will become of no force." If he who had
said this