in it, to the point that they made it both the criterion and the ultimate goal, just as the others do with reason. Those devoted to letters, by contrast, have turned away from it, disparaged it, and have not counted it among the qualities of perfection.

The reason for this is that those devoted to letters seek knowledge, whose gateway is reason, whereas those devoted to sound seek action, whose gateway is love. Each group therefore exalts what pertains to its own pursuit and disparages the other, even though both knowledge and action are indispensable: reason directed towards knowledge, mental activity and love; discernment and movement; speech and inward state; letters and sound.

When both are measured against the Quran and Sunnah, they constitute the straight path. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May Allah bless Muhammad and his family and grant them peace.