"THE STATEMENT ON THE VALIDITY OF THE ESOTERIC"

An issue [raised] against us by the Exotericists (Ahl al-Zahir):

They say: Make known to us the matter of this Esoteric (al-Batin) to which you call:

Did he [the Messenger] bring it specifically or generally?

If you say: "Specifically," then you have deviated from the path of Justice (al-Adl), which is the foundation of your doctrine; and no argument binds us if we do not believe in it, because he did not obligate us with it, nor did we hear of it.

And if you say: "He brought it generally," then we see it only as specific to a people to the exclusion of others; and when a specific people are singled out for it, is there nothing upon the rest?!

The Answer: We say: The Maker (al-Bari), Exalted is He, created creation and placed within them a single, equal capability (istita'ah), and empowered them for affirmation and denial. Then He made the Outward (al-Zahir) a proof for the Inward (al-Batin), because there is no way to the knowledge of the Inward except through an Outward.