matters of the Qur'an and Sunna, and corrupted matters of the israiliyyat. And because they imagined similarities and agreement between the matters addressing reason of the former, which are true, and philosophy, which is fallacious and delusive, they supposed that the correspondence and similarities expounded the meanings of the Book and Sunna and elucidated their purposes.

God forbid! The criterion of the Book of Miraculous Exposition is its miraculous inimitability. What will expound it is its own parts. Its meaning is within it. Even its shell is of pearl, not clods. Even if their purpose in disclosing the congruity had been to pronounce fit that truthful witness, it still would have been futile. For the Perspicuous Qur'an is far above such pronouncements concerning reasoned and revealed knowledge, which have anyway handed over to it the keys of submission, and it stands in no need of them. For if it does not pronounce them fit, their testimony will not be heard. Yes, you have to search for the Pleiades in the skies not on the ground. And you should seek the Qur'an's meanings in its shells, not in your pocket, which is all mixed up. For you won't find them there. And even if you do, the Qur'an will not accept them, for they will not bear the stamp of miraculousness.

For it is established that the true meaning is that which the words empty out in the ear-hole then penetrating the mind, suffuses the conscience and produces copious blossoms of ideas. For if some possibilities have impinged on your imagination due to your preoccupation with other things, or you have filched some futilities from philosophy and fables and stories, and filling your pockets with (hem have hidden them in amongst the convolutions of the Qur'an's verses and Hadiths, then pulled them out, held them up and called out: "The meaning is this! Come and take it!"  - if you were to do this, you would receive this answer: "Come on! This meaning of yours is unclear. It bears the stamp of blind imitation!" The assayer of truth will reject it. The Sultan of Miraculousness will send the minter packing. You will have transgressed against the orderliness of the verses and Hadiths, so they will issue a complaint against you, and the judge of eloquence will imprison your delusions in