But knowledge is not all rust. You have to be the blessed king to touch rust and turn it into gold, or else indeed it is all rust. It is a lamp that shall walk a few stages of your journey for you. But do not believe this to be the supreme source of guidance. Because how far do you think this knowledge will take you? Till death, perhaps? Find a master, my son. Or at death the deceiver will deceive you. So did he came upon the great scholar of his time, and one of the greatest the world has seen. There sat Shaykh al-Islam, Imam Al Fakhruddin al Razi, Sultan al-Mutakallimin, Shaykh al-Mushakkikin on his deathbed. And Shaitan, the cunning and vile creature showed up. “Strike a man when he is at his lowest” perhaps he thought. Unable to misguide this great man all his life, he showed up again to attempt his evil intents one last time.
“What proof thee have of His existence that you believe in Him to the extent that you have dedicated your life to Him? O Fakhruddin! Had you used your intellectual capabilities for worldly good only they might have actually been of use” Said the Shaitan, as he tried to seduce him away from his religion. There struggled Fakhruddin, with all his health that was left, and explained a “proof” to the vile shaitan. But understand this, it was an attempt of intellect, and how far will intellect take you?
For every argument is arguable, and every proof is deniable. And thus, kept struggling Fakhruddin, again and again, every time with a new proof. Every time more detailed and elaborated than before. But the despicable creature denied and countered every argument. There stood the great imam, with the feeling of defeat and helplessness. There stood Fakhruddin, on the verge of slipping into doubt and disbelief, just moments before the end of a life served, with complete devotion of the One.
And then like a ray of sunshine in the darkness, spoke the great teacher of Fakhruddin, “O Fakhruddin! Tell this damned one that your believe in Him does not require a proof!” And perhaps that’s how the teachers work, perhaps that what teachers are for. A ray of hope in your moments of greatest despair. And so, was the cursed one defeated and Fakhruddin elevated.
