except one who scoops a handful with his hand." But they drank from it, except a few of them} (Al-Baqarah 249).

So behold, O seeker, this noble verse which points to this river, by which the Prophet of Allah, Talut (peace be upon him), intended nothing but an example to indicate the exoteric science. He named it a "river" so that the People of the Exoteric (Ahl al-Zahir) would not recognize it and [consequently] exit from under the burdens (al-asar) placed upon them, and [so they would not] confront what Allah the Exalted sent down to them of the Heavenly Books with denial and rejection, and reject the Prophets for their rejection of their Imams, and the clarification of the truth of the Legatees (al-Awsiya’) regarding Lordship (al-Rububiyya) and their transcendence (al-tanziha) above humanity, and [so they would not] stone the believers who follow them.

Just as the Messiah (peace be upon us) alluded to Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, in the third chapter of the Gospel of John, by his saying: "Truly, truly, I say to you: We speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen, yet you do not accept our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?"

And I say: The traditions (ahadith) regarding the open declaration of the religion and the lifting of Taqiyya (dissimulation) in the days of Al-Qa’im al-Mahdi indicate that the practice of Taqiyya is not permissible except for concealment among the Opposites (al-Adad)