The Light of Truth — Page 363
REFUTING OBJECTIONS 363 reason [al-maqūl], nor does it have any consequence with regard to al-manqūl. Aside from this, there is no one present in those coun- tries who had made the claim that he was the Mahdi of the Latter Days and had been sent by the Gracious God. Therefore, my truth- fulness was established among those who possess knowledge by the testimony of al-khulf. 2 O you who adheres to faltering and error! Ponder over this with a rational attitude. Perhaps Allah will free you from the snare of the wicked and give you to drink from the cup of certainty. So do not incline towards friends from your world, for if Allah marks you as His enemy, then surely they too will become your enemies and you will be left abandoned and rejected and become disgraced. Many a drinking companion passed around their cups, But in the end, they cleaved one another's skulls. How long will you befriend the evil and wicked? Relent and remember that distressful and frowning [day]. Do not fear a people who obliterate bodies; Fear the overwhelming might of the Lord who strikes down souls. 1. Al-Manqul, defined simply as 'revelation'-though considered by some to also encompass faithfully transmitted Islamic knowledge-is the natu- ral pair to al-Maʻqūl, or 'reason', and together they guide Islamic thought. [Publisher] 2. Al-Khulf here refers to a method of logical reasoning whereby disproving the counterfactual proves the asserted hypothesis or claim. [Publisher]