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SpiritualRoadmapbyGhazali, page : 71
Their demonstration of the need for instruction and an instructor was clearly
sound, while the retort of the critics was weak. A number of people were thus
deceived into thinking that this was due to the strength of the system of the
Ta`limiyah and to the weakness of that of their opponents. They did not realize
that this state of affairs was due to the weakness of the defender of the truth and
his ignorance of the proper method in dealing with the issue.
The correct procedure is in fact to acknowledge the need for an instructor and
the necessity of his being infallible. But our infallible instructor is Muhammad,
peace be upon him. They may say, “He is dead”; but we reply, “Your instructor is
hidden (gha’ib)”. They may say, “Our instructor instructed the preachers and
spread them widely through the land, and if they differ or are puzzled by a
difficulty, he expects them to return to him”; but we reply, “Our instructor
instructed the preachers and spread them widely through the land and perfected
the instruction, according to the word of Allah most high, `Today I have perfected
your religion for you‟ (Koran 5, 5); when the instruction has been made perfect,
the death of the instructor does no harm, any more than does his being hidden”.
There remains their argument: “How do you judge a point of law on which there
sound, while the retort of the critics was weak. A number of people were thus
deceived into thinking that this was due to the strength of the system of the
Ta`limiyah and to the weakness of that of their opponents. They did not realize
that this state of affairs was due to the weakness of the defender of the truth and
his ignorance of the proper method in dealing with the issue.
The correct procedure is in fact to acknowledge the need for an instructor and
the necessity of his being infallible. But our infallible instructor is Muhammad,
peace be upon him. They may say, “He is dead”; but we reply, “Your instructor is
hidden (gha’ib)”. They may say, “Our instructor instructed the preachers and
spread them widely through the land, and if they differ or are puzzled by a
difficulty, he expects them to return to him”; but we reply, “Our instructor
instructed the preachers and spread them widely through the land and perfected
the instruction, according to the word of Allah most high, `Today I have perfected
your religion for you‟ (Koran 5, 5); when the instruction has been made perfect,
the death of the instructor does no harm, any more than does his being hidden”.
There remains their argument: “How do you judge a point of law on which there