…that they rescue people from drowning, and that he merely extends his hand into the sea, lifts the whole ship and sets it on land without even wetting his sleeves—along with countless other fables and myths. Their shirk (polytheism) persists in both prosperity and hardship, making them more obstinate than the first pagans. Moreover, as the Shaykh says in Kashf al-Shubuhat (1) from another perspective: “The early idolaters worshipped righteous beings—angels, prophets and saints—whereas these people worship some of the most debauched individuals, and they admit it. Those they call the aqtab and the aghwath neither perform the prayer nor fast, and they do not refrain from fornication, sodomy and other indecencies, because they claim to be exempt from all religious duties; halal and haram apply only to the common folk. They frankly acknowledge that their masters neither pray nor fast and that they are not scrupulous about vice—such are Ibn Arabi, al-Rifaʿi, al-Badawi and others.” 17–The Shaykh adduces proof that the later polytheists are greater and harsher in their shirk than the earlier ones, for the latter devoted their worship purely to Allah in times of distress but lapsed into shirk in times of ease. He cites the verse: “When they board a ship they call upon Allah, devoting the religion sincerely to Him” (al-Ankabut 29:65). May Allah bless and grant peace to our Prophet Muhammad, his family and all his companions. (1) See Kashf al-Shubuhat, pp. 169–170 (Collected Works of the Mujaddid, Aqida section).