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SpiritualRoadmapbyGhazali, page : 79
Rational considerations, however, are not to be trusted, according to your view.
Yet no one knows the argument from miracle, to truthfulness unless he knows
magic and the distinction between that and miracle, and unless he knows that
Allah does not lead His servants astray. The topic of Allah‟s leading men astray
is one where it is notoriously difficult to make a reply. How then can you rebut all
these objections when there is no reason for following your Imam rather than his
opponent? The matter comes back to the intellectual proofs which you deny; and
your adversary adduces proofs similar to yours but clearer‟ „.
Thus this topic turns back against themselves so decisively that, even if the
older and younger members of the sect agreed to give an answer, they would be
unable to do so. The corrupt doctrine has grown quickly only because a group of
inferior intellects argued against them and employed the method of `reply‟ (jawab)
instead of that of `reversal‟ (qalb). Such a procedure prolongs the debate and
neither convinces men‟s minds nor effectively silences the opponents.
Some may say: `This is `reversal‟; but is there any `reply‟ to that‟? I answer:
`Certainly. The reply is that, if the man in doubt says, `I am in doubt‟, and does
Yet no one knows the argument from miracle, to truthfulness unless he knows
magic and the distinction between that and miracle, and unless he knows that
Allah does not lead His servants astray. The topic of Allah‟s leading men astray
is one where it is notoriously difficult to make a reply. How then can you rebut all
these objections when there is no reason for following your Imam rather than his
opponent? The matter comes back to the intellectual proofs which you deny; and
your adversary adduces proofs similar to yours but clearer‟ „.
Thus this topic turns back against themselves so decisively that, even if the
older and younger members of the sect agreed to give an answer, they would be
unable to do so. The corrupt doctrine has grown quickly only because a group of
inferior intellects argued against them and employed the method of `reply‟ (jawab)
instead of that of `reversal‟ (qalb). Such a procedure prolongs the debate and
neither convinces men‟s minds nor effectively silences the opponents.
Some may say: `This is `reversal‟; but is there any `reply‟ to that‟? I answer:
`Certainly. The reply is that, if the man in doubt says, `I am in doubt‟, and does