Revelation Over Philosophy

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وَالْمَنْطِقُ نَفْعُهُ قَلِيلٌ وَضَرَرُهُ وَبِيلٌ

Logic has little benefit, but its harm is severe.

وَمَا هُوَ مِنْ عُلُومِ الإِسْلَامِ

And it is not part of Islamic sciences.

وَالْحَقُّ مِنْهُ فَكَامِنٌ فِي النُّفُوسِ الزَّكِيَّةِ بِعِبَارَاتٍ غَرِيبَةٍ

The truth of it lies hidden in pure souls with strange expressions.

وَالْبَاطِلُ فَاهْرُبْ مِنْهُ فَإِنَّكَ تَنْقَطِعُ مَعَ خَصْمِكَ وَتَعْرِفُ أَنَّكَ الْمُحِقُّ

As for falsehood, flee from it, for you may be cut off from your opponent while knowing you are right,

وَتَقْطَعُ خَصْمَكَ وَتَعْرِفُ أَنَّكَ عَلَى الْخَطَأِ

or you may defeat your opponent while knowing you are wrong.

فهي عبارات دهاشة ومقدمات دكاكة،

They are dazzling phrases and deceptive premises.

نَسْأَلُ اللهَ السَّلَامَةَ

We ask Allah for safety.

وَإِنْ قَرَأْتَهُ لِلْفُرْجَةِ لَا لِلْحُجَّةِ وَلِلدُّنْيَا لَا لِلْآخِرَةِ

If you study it for leisure, not for proof, and for this world, not the hereafter,

فَقَدْ عَذَّبْتَ الْحَيَوَانَ وَضَيَّعْتَ الزَّمَانَ

You have only exhausted yourself and wasted your time.

وَاللهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ

And Allah is the One Whose help is sought.

وَأَمَّا الثَّوَابُ فَأَيِّسْ مِنْهُ وَلَا تَأْمَنْ الْعِقَابَ إِلَّا بِمَثَابٍ

As for reward, give up hope of it, and do not feel safe from punishment except through repentance.

وَالْحِكْمَةُ الْفَلْسَفِيَّةُ الإِلَٰهِيَّةُ مَا يُنْظَرُ فِيهَا مَنْ يُرْجَى فَلَاحُهُ

As for philosophical divine wisdom, no one who hopes for success should look into it.

وَلَا يَرْكُنُ إِلَى اِعْتِقَادِهَا مَنْ يَلُوحُ نَجَاحُهُ

And no one whose success is apparent should rely on believing in it.

فَإِنَّ هَذَا الْعِلْمَ فِي شَقٍّ وَمَا جَاءَتْ بِهِ الرُّسُلُ فِي شَقٍّ

For this knowledge lies in one direction, and what the messengers brought lies in another.

وَلَكِنَّ ضَلَالَ مَنْ لَمْ يَدْرِ مَا جَاءَتْ بِهِ الرُّسُلُ كَمَا يَنْبَغِي بِالْحِكْمَةِ شَرٌّ مِمَّنْ يَدْرِي

But the misguidance of one who does not know what the messengers brought, as he should through wisdom, is worse than that of one who knows.

وَا غَوْثَاهُ بِاللَّهِ

O help from Allah!

إِذَا كَانَ الَّذِينَ قَدِ انْتَدَبُوا لِلرَّدِّ عَلَى الْفَلَاسِفَةِ قَدْ حَارُوا وَلَحِقَتْهُمْ كَسْفَةٌ

If those who set out to refute the philosophers were confused and affected by gloom,

فَمَا الظَّنُّ بِالْمَرْدُودِ عَلَيْهِمْ

What then is expected of those they refuted?

وَمَا دَوَاءُ هَذِهِ الْعُلُومِ وَعُلَمَائِهَا وَالْعَامِلِينَ بِهَا عِلْمًا وَعُقَدًا إِلَّا الْحَرِيقُ وَالْإِعْدَامُ مِنَ الْوُجُودِ

And there is no remedy for these sciences, their scholars, and those who practice them in knowledge and belief except fire and annihilation from existence.