the theologians. This comes after his statement in the preface:

“To proceed: We previously explained, in a separate treatise, the agreement of philosophy with the revealed Law and the Law’s command to pursue it. There we said that the revealed Law has an apparent sense and an interpreted sense; that the apparent sense is what the general public are obliged to follow, while the interpreted sense is what scholars are obliged to follow. As for the general public, their duty is to take it in its apparent sense and refrain from interpreting it.”

I say: He has thus made it the duty of the general public to believe falsehood, which is contrary to the truth, if the truth is contrary to the apparent sense, since he has obliged them to take it in its apparent sense.

He said: “As for the general public, their duty is to take it in its apparent sense and refrain from interpreting it. Scholars are not permitted to expound its interpretation to the general public, as ‘Alī, may Allah be pleased with him, said: ‘Speak to people of what