from the sun and moon down to even plants, for the assistance of animals, for example, and the help of animals for human beings, and even that of particles of food for the cells of the body. Whereas, among the principles of the line of philosophy concerning social life is that of conflict, which springs from the misuse of their inborn dispositions by a number of tyrants, brutish men, and savage beasts. Indeed, they have accepted this principle at so fundamental a level and at such a general one that they have idiotically declared: “Life is a conflict.”

Third Example

Third Example: One of the valuable results and exalted principles of the line of prophethood concerning divine unity is: “If a thing has unity, it must proceed from one alone.” [^9] That is, “Since each thing in itself and all things collectively have unity, they therefore must be the creation of one single being.” Whereas, one of the beliefs of ancient philosophy is: “From one, one proceeds.” [^10] That is, “From one person, only one single thing can proceed. Everything else proceeds from him by means of intermediaries.”

[^9]:See, al-Shahristānī, al-Milal wa’l-Niḥal, ii, 124; al-Ijī, Kitāb al-Mawāqif, ii, 589.

[^10]:See, al-Shahristānī, al-Milal wa’l-Niḥal, ii, 187; al-Ijī, Kitāb al-Mawāqif, ii, 689-90.

This misleading principle of philosophy is stained by associating partners with God, and presents the Absolutely Self-Sufficient and Omnipotent One as needing impotent intermediaries, and it accords causes and intermediaries a sort of partnership in His dominicality. It attributes to the Glorious Creator the title of the First Intellect, [^11] which in fact indicates the status of creature. Moreover, it allots the rest of His sovereignty to causes and intermediaries, thus opening the way to associating partners with Him on a vast scale. If pre-eminent philosophers like the Illuminists (Ishraqiyyun) uttered nonsense like this, you can imagine how much more absurd will be what inferior philosophers like the materialists and naturalists say.

[^11]:See, Ibn Taymiyya, Sharḥ al-‘Aqīda al-Isfahāniyya, ii, 80; al-Shahristānī, al-Milal wa’l-Niḥal, ii, 75, 88.

Fourth Example

Fourth Example: According to the meaning of,

There is nothing but extols His limitless glory and praise,(17:44)

which is one of the wise principles of prophethood, “If the purpose and wisdom of everything, in particular living beings, has one aspect which looks to the being itself, then the purposes which concern its Maker and the instances of wisdom which look to its Creator must be myriad. Each thing, a single fruit for example, has as much wisdom and as many purposes as all the fruits of a tree.” This principle, which is pure truth, results from the joining of one of the forms of philosophy with the line of prophethood.