The Devils Deception by Imam Ibn AL-Jawzi

T H E D E V I L ' S
D E C E PTI O N S
Section One:
The Reason Why al-Bd(in!JYah
Entered into Misguidance
Know that these people intended to depart (from their) religion,
so they consulted with some Zoroastrians, Mazdakis, Dualists and
atheist philosophers to reduce the effect Muslim scholars had on
them. Muslim scholars were successful in refuting their arguments
of denying the Creator, Messengers and resurrection. They saw that
they were unable to retaliate against MuQ.ammad's (;i) affair (i.e.
Islam). So they concluded that they had no option but to pretend to
follow the Muslim sect that was most accepting of illogical things,
which were the Rafiqah. They pretended to feel sorry for what happened
to members of the Prophet's () Family, and cursed those
early Muslims (Prophet's (;i) Companions) who transmitted Shartah
to us.
Once they become disreputable in the eyes of the Rafiqah, they
paid no attention to what they transmitted, and it will be possible
for us gradually to seduce them from the religion. Should any remain
among them who cling to the literal expressions of the Qur'an
and the traditions, we shall make them understand that those expressions
hide certain mysteries; that the person who is deceived by
the literal expressions is a fool, whereas sagacity consists in believing
their hidden sense. We shall then communicate our own beliefs
to them, asserting that they are what is meant by the literal expressions
which they possess; if we augment our numbers with these, it
will be easy for us gradually to gain over the rest of the sects. They
then said: Our plan will be to choose a man who will help our system,
whom we shall declare to be one of the Prophet's (;i) house,
whom everyone ought to follow, and whom it is their duty to obey,
in as much as he is the representative of the Prophet (;i), preserved
by Allah from all error or failing. Next, this summons must not be
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