Explanation of the author's statement: "As for the people of imagination: they are the philosophers, the Batiniyyah, and those who follow their path from the theologians and others."
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The Shaykh : He says: "As for the people of imagination: they are the philosophers, the Batiniyyah, and those who follow their path from the theologians and others".
The philosophers are those who claim to be the wise and the rational, and they consider that the sciences other than their own are of no value, to the point that the sciences of the prophets are of no value in their view. They say, "These are the sciences of old women and are not suitable for people of intellect." Naturally, they deny the Creator and deny the Last Day, because they are materialists and fatalists who do not believe in anything, may Allah protect us from that. Despite this, they possess arrogance and haughtiness that make them view people as mere dust and pay no attention to them; so they are philosophers.
And the Batiniyyah; the Batiniyyah are those who say: "Religion has an outer and an inner aspect, or an apparent and a hidden aspect. The apparent is for the people of the apparent, and the hidden is for the people of the hidden." Who are the people of the apparent? The people of the apparent are the simpletons whose minds people play with. They say: "There is Paradise, there is Hellfire, there is prayer, fasting, and Hajj, and the like," and they go along with it. These are the common people.
And the hidden aspect is what their imams hold, and the explanation of their doctrine and their method of practice will come, if Allah wills.
These people say: "What the prophets brought regarding faith in Allah and the Last Day is merely parables and imaginings that have no reality in the actual world", I seek refuge in Allah. That is, in their view, the reality is that there is no Lord, no resurrection, and no recompense; rather, it is only wombs that give birth and lands that swallow, and nothing else. But, "rather, their purpose is the benefit of the common people and the general public, because if people are told: 'You have a great Lord, who is All-Capable, Merciful, and Overpowering, and before you is a great Day in which you will be resurrected and rewarded for your deeds,' and the like, they will straighten out on the path required of them, even if this has no reality, according to the claim of these people".
They say: "This has no reality. So why do the messengers come and tell people that they have a Lord, that there is Paradise, and that there is Hellfire?" He said: "Yes." They said: "This is so that people will proceed in the direction they are directed, because if people are told: 'You have a Merciful, All-Capable, great Lord who is severe in punishment, and the like, but do such and such, and do such and such, and leave such and such, and leave such and such, otherwise this Lord will punish you,' will they submit or not? Yes, they will submit to these commands and obey. But if that is not said to them, everyone will do as he pleases and no one will care about anyone else."
So, for these people, the remembrance of Allah the Exalted and the remembrance of the Last Day is nothing but intimidation and terror, just as you tell a child, "Be quiet, or the ogre will come for you," or "Do you think a hot sheet will come down on you from the sky?" The common people say, "a hot griddle", a griddle used to make flatbread. Is this true? But we told him that thing so that he would reflect and be quiet. This is the matter with these philosophers, the Batiniyyah, and those who followed them: there is no Lord, no recompense, and no resurrection. We ask Allah for well-being and safety.
Then, is what they said what is settled in their innate disposition?
The answer is: No, because it is not possible for anyone to deny the Creator. One may deny recompense, but denying the Creator is absolutely impossible, because no rational person can say that an event occurs without a creator, ever. But this is their talk.
The philosophers are those who claim to be the wise and the rational, and they consider that the sciences other than their own are of no value, to the point that the sciences of the prophets are of no value in their view. They say, "These are the sciences of old women and are not suitable for people of intellect." Naturally, they deny the Creator and deny the Last Day, because they are materialists and fatalists who do not believe in anything, may Allah protect us from that. Despite this, they possess arrogance and haughtiness that make them view people as mere dust and pay no attention to them; so they are philosophers.
And the Batiniyyah; the Batiniyyah are those who say: "Religion has an outer and an inner aspect, or an apparent and a hidden aspect. The apparent is for the people of the apparent, and the hidden is for the people of the hidden." Who are the people of the apparent? The people of the apparent are the simpletons whose minds people play with. They say: "There is Paradise, there is Hellfire, there is prayer, fasting, and Hajj, and the like," and they go along with it. These are the common people.
And the hidden aspect is what their imams hold, and the explanation of their doctrine and their method of practice will come, if Allah wills.
These people say: "What the prophets brought regarding faith in Allah and the Last Day is merely parables and imaginings that have no reality in the actual world", I seek refuge in Allah. That is, in their view, the reality is that there is no Lord, no resurrection, and no recompense; rather, it is only wombs that give birth and lands that swallow, and nothing else. But, "rather, their purpose is the benefit of the common people and the general public, because if people are told: 'You have a great Lord, who is All-Capable, Merciful, and Overpowering, and before you is a great Day in which you will be resurrected and rewarded for your deeds,' and the like, they will straighten out on the path required of them, even if this has no reality, according to the claim of these people".
They say: "This has no reality. So why do the messengers come and tell people that they have a Lord, that there is Paradise, and that there is Hellfire?" He said: "Yes." They said: "This is so that people will proceed in the direction they are directed, because if people are told: 'You have a Merciful, All-Capable, great Lord who is severe in punishment, and the like, but do such and such, and do such and such, and leave such and such, and leave such and such, otherwise this Lord will punish you,' will they submit or not? Yes, they will submit to these commands and obey. But if that is not said to them, everyone will do as he pleases and no one will care about anyone else."
So, for these people, the remembrance of Allah the Exalted and the remembrance of the Last Day is nothing but intimidation and terror, just as you tell a child, "Be quiet, or the ogre will come for you," or "Do you think a hot sheet will come down on you from the sky?" The common people say, "a hot griddle", a griddle used to make flatbread. Is this true? But we told him that thing so that he would reflect and be quiet. This is the matter with these philosophers, the Batiniyyah, and those who followed them: there is no Lord, no recompense, and no resurrection. We ask Allah for well-being and safety.
Then, is what they said what is settled in their innate disposition?
The answer is: No, because it is not possible for anyone to deny the Creator. One may deny recompense, but denying the Creator is absolutely impossible, because no rational person can say that an event occurs without a creator, ever. But this is their talk.