from him. At that moment, he becomes free and obeyed, and emerges from the trials of [the physical] kingdom."

The Gnostic believer is not mandated to perform them [the outward rites] for their own sake; rather, they are imposed upon him only when he is among the people of the outward. This is based on the saying of our Master Ja'far al-Sadiq: "Be an ornament for us and do not be a disgrace to us." Thus, the believer must be knowledgeable and mature, knowing the outward commands and establishing them in their [the public's] presence, so they do not say: "The Ja'faris are infidels."

Similarly, as the Almighty said in His Mighty Book: {And it is He who has released the two seas} (Al-Furqan: 53), and: {This is fresh and sweet, pleasant to drink, and this is salty and bitter. And from each you eat fresh meat and extract ornaments which you wear} (Fatir: 12).

The Answer: From what was narrated in Al-Risala al-Misriyya (The Egyptian Epistle):

The fresh and sweet water: is the Call of Truth and the Inward Knowledge ('Ilm al-Batin).

The salty and bitter water: is the Call of Falsehood and the Outward Knowledge ('Ilm al-Zahir) which is with them [the public].

His saying {And from each you eat fresh meat}: means that from both [seas], you gain knowledge, study, and learn. That is, it is