On condition, however, that he does not deny or insult the truths of the Shari'a and rules of belief, or display contempt towards them. Even if he does not carry out the injunctions, he has to acknowledge that they are right. But if he is over­come by that state and assumes a position, / seek ref­uge with God, which infers denial and giving the lie to those incontestible truths, it is the sign that he has deviated from the path!

In Short: There are two groups that follow the Sufi path outside the bounds of the Shari'a.

One group: As described above, these people are either overwhelmed by their mental state, immer­sion, or ecstasy or intoxication, or they are domi­nated by some of their subtle faculties that do not heed the injunctions of religion nor listen to the will; they therefore transgress the bounds of the Shari'a. But this is not due to their disliking its rulings or not wanting to follow them; they are rather compelled to, involuntarily. Among this group are people of sainthood some of whom have even been temporary saints of high rank. But the authoritative scholars from among the saints {muhakkikin-i evliya) have ruled that of these some have been not only outside the bounds of the Shari'a, but outside the bounds of Islam. But they are considered to be people of saint­hood on condition they have not denied any of the injunctions brought by Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him). It is that they do not think of them, or cannot keep them in view, or are not aware of them. They cannot not accept them if they are aware of them.

As for the Second Group, they are carried away by the brilliant pleasures of the Sufi path and way of reality, and since they cannot attain to the pleasures of the truths of the Shari'a, which are far more ele­vated, they suppose them to be dull formalities and are indifferent towards them. They gradually accept the idea that the Shari'a is an external shell, and that the reality they have found is the essential goal. They say: "I have found it; it is enough for me," and act in a way contrary to the injunctions of the Shari'a. Any in this group who are in their right minds are responsible; they stray from the path, indeed, become the playthings of Satan to an extent.

Fourth Point: Some persons who belong to the divisions of the people of misguidance and innovation are found acceptable by the Muslim com­munity, while others, just like them and not appar­ently different, are rejected. I always used to wonder about this. For example, although someone like Zamakhshari was one of the most bigoted members of the Mu'tazilite sect, the authoritative Sunni schol­ars did not pronounce him an unbeliever or mis­guided, despite his severe objections; they rather searched for a way to exonerate him. But then they held that Mu'tazilite authorities like Abu 'Ali Jubba'i, who was far less bigoted than Zamakhshari, should be rejected and refuted. I was curious about this for a long time. Then through divine grace I understood that Zamakhshari's objections about the Sunnis arose from his love of his way, which he looked on as right.