And there has been reported in our books of monotheism much of the hadiths and narrations which mandate the performing of the exoteric matters, and that whoever leaves the exoteric, Allah strips him of the exoteric and the esoteric.

And if there exists among us individuals or groups who shirk from performing the exoteric duties, relying on the esoteric only, then this does not mean that they relied in that upon an esoteric rule or texts. Rather, the matter is the opposite, and their reliance was only upon erroneous personal interpretations and derivations with which they were swept along in the current of negligence and recklessness.

And we have indeed described the people of the exoteric (al-zahiriyyin) with exaggeration (ghuluw) due to their belief that the Commander of the Faithful, Ali bin Abi Talib, to whom we direct our worship, is only a limited created person like those whom the Ismailis, the Druze, and the Baha'is deified. And I presume, O my dear reader, that I have clarified the truth for you in this speech of mine here, and in the first chapter under the title "In the speech around exaggeration", in a manner that leaves no ambiguity or doubt regarding the soundness of our doctrine.