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SpiritualRoadmapbyGhazali, page : 106
consider such an event by itself, without taking account of the numerous
circumstances accompanying it, circumstances readily eluding the grasp of the
intellect, then you might perhaps suppose that it was magic and deception and
that it came from Allah to lead men astray; for „He leads astray whom He will,
and guides whom He will‟. Thus the topic of miracles will be thrown back upon
you; for if your faith is based on a reasoned argument involving the probative
force of the miracle, then your faith is destroyed by an ordered argument showing
the difficulty and ambiguity of the miracle.
Admit that wonders of this sort are one of the proofs and accompanying
circumstances out of the totality of your thought on the matter; and that you attain
obvious knowledge and yet are unable to say specifically on what it is based. The
case is similar to that of a man who receives from a multitude of people a piece
of information which is a matter of common belief... He is unable to say that the
certainty is derived from the remark of a single specific person; rather, its source
is unknown to him; it is neither from outside the whole, nor is it from specific
individuals. This is strong, intellectual faith. Immediate experience, on the other
hand, is like actually witnessing a thing and taking it in one‟s hand. It is only
found in the way of mysticism.
circumstances accompanying it, circumstances readily eluding the grasp of the
intellect, then you might perhaps suppose that it was magic and deception and
that it came from Allah to lead men astray; for „He leads astray whom He will,
and guides whom He will‟. Thus the topic of miracles will be thrown back upon
you; for if your faith is based on a reasoned argument involving the probative
force of the miracle, then your faith is destroyed by an ordered argument showing
the difficulty and ambiguity of the miracle.
Admit that wonders of this sort are one of the proofs and accompanying
circumstances out of the totality of your thought on the matter; and that you attain
obvious knowledge and yet are unable to say specifically on what it is based. The
case is similar to that of a man who receives from a multitude of people a piece
of information which is a matter of common belief... He is unable to say that the
certainty is derived from the remark of a single specific person; rather, its source
is unknown to him; it is neither from outside the whole, nor is it from specific
individuals. This is strong, intellectual faith. Immediate experience, on the other
hand, is like actually witnessing a thing and taking it in one‟s hand. It is only
found in the way of mysticism.