a hypocritical heretic, or an ignorant, misguided man.
The same applies to these proponents of the identity of Creator and creation: their leading figures are leaders of unbelief who must be put to death. The repentance of any of them is not accepted if he is apprehended before repenting, for he is among the worst heretics who outwardly profess Islam while concealing the gravest unbelief. These are the ones who understand their own teachings and their opposition to the religion of the Muslims.
Everyone who affiliates himself with them, defends them, praises them, venerates their books, is known to assist and support them, dislikes criticism of them, or begins making excuses for them must be punished. Such excuses include claiming not to know what this discourse means or who said that he authored this book, and similar excuses offered only by an ignorant person or a hypocrite. Indeed, everyone who knows their true condition but does not help take action against them must be punished, for taking action against them is among the greatest obligations. They have corrupted the minds and religion of many shaykhs, scholars, kings, and rulers. They spread corruption throughout the land and turn people away from the path of Allah.
The harm they cause to religion is greater than that caused by those who ruin the Muslims’ worldly affairs while leaving their religion intact, such as highway robbers and the Tatars who take their wealth but leave them their religion. Those unfamiliar with them do not underestimate them. Their misguidance and their misleading of others are beyond description, and they resemble the esotericist Qarmatians more closely than anyone else.
For this reason, they desire Tatar rule and prefer their victory over the Muslims—except for ordinary people among their adherents and followers, who do not know the true nature of their cause. For this reason, they endorse the Jews and Christians in their existing beliefs and regard them as following the truth, just as they regard idol worshippers as following the truth. Each of these positions is among the gravest forms of unbelief. And whoever