and for him it is medically permissible. Thus, here the truth has multiplied; all five are true. Are you able to say: “The water is only a cure, only necessary, and it governs in no other way?”

Similarly, impelled by divine wisdom, the divine ordinances change according to the schools of law and those who follow them, and they change as truth, and all are true and right. For example, in accordance with divine wisdom and determining, the majority of those who follow Imam Shafi‘i are closer to village life and nomadism than the Hanafis, and are lacking in social life, which makes the community like a single body. As a consequence, each person recites the Fatiha behind the prayer leader so as to himself express his pains at the court of the Fulfiller of Needs and utter his private wishes. And this is absolutely right and pure wisdom. However, since most Islamic governments favoured the school of Imam-i A’zam, the great majority of those who follow that school are closer to civilization and urban life and more fitted for social life. Thus, the community becomes like a single individual and one man speaks in the name of all; all affirm him with their hearts and bind their hearts to his and his word becomes the word of all; according to the Hanafi school, the Fatiha is not recited behind the prayer leader. And its not being recited is absolutely right and pure wisdom.

And, for example, since the Shari‘a forms a barrier against the assaults of nature, it modifies it and trains the evil-commanding soul. Thus, according to the Shafi‘i School most of whose followers are villagers, semi-nomadic, and occupied in manual labour: “Ablutions are spoilt by touching a woman; the slightest uncleanliness is harmful.” While according to the Hanafi School, since the great majority of it followers have entered social life and become ‘semi-civilized:’ “Touching women does not spoil the ablutions; there is licence for a small amount of uncleanliness.”

Now we shall consider a manual worker and a gentleman. Due to his craft and the manner of his livelihood, a worker is afflicted with mixing with and being in contact with women who are canonically strangers to him. Since he sits at the same hearth as them and is involved with unclean things, nature and his evil-commanding soul find the field empty and may attack him. Therefore, in order to form a barrier against such attacks, the Shari‘a states concerning them: “Your ablutions will be spoilt; do not touch the women. Your prayers will be invalid; do not be tainted.” A heavenly voice rings in his spiritual ears. Whereas, in accordance with social custom and in the name of common morality, the gentleman – on condition he is honourable – is not afflicted with being in contact with women who are canonically strangers to him, and in the name of civilized cleanli-