Galen then said to them both: "This is a question of obstinacy1, for it necessitates the breaking of natural habits. It is not the way of the Sage to corrupt wisdom by breaking the habit. Even if we grant that you heal the blind and the leper, how can you remain patient2 against surrendering and submitting to him regarding the reviving of the dead?" He then intended to meet him and traveled from Rome as an emigrant to Lord Messiah—exalted be his glory—but he died in Homs, and his grave is there.
Galen is among the praised sages and possesses a rank. We have transmitted previously from the knowing sheikhs of Oneness that they related: the Meaning—Exalted—manifested among the Greek sages as Aristoteles; the Name was manifest as the Great Plato; the Gate was Socrates; the two Orphans were Hippocrates and Galen; and the Adversary was manifest as Sophista.
(375) This is supported by the saying of Amir Almuminin—exalted be his glory: "For every nation there is an Aristoteles, and I am the Aristoteles of every Aristoteles." Its meaning, in accordance with his saying—exalted be his glory—is: for every nation there is a scholar, and I am the Scholar of scholars.
(376) In the same sense is what was related by Muhammad ibn Sinan al-Zahiri—peace be upon him—from al-Mufaddal ibn Umar—peace be upon him: Aristoteles was mentioned in the presence of our Master al-Sadiq—exalted be his glory. They spoke at length of his merit and said: "There was no one in his time more knowledgeable than him." Our Master—exalted be his glory—said: "May God have mercy on Abu Abd al-Rahman, for he was a monotheist believer, and I am the Aristoteles of this nation."