drove him to denial and rejection, as He said:

“But when Our signs came to them, clear to see, they said, ‘This is obvious magic.’”

“And they denied them, though their souls were convinced of them, out of injustice and arrogance. So see what was the end of those who spread corruption.”

As for these people, in one respect they act hypocritically towards the Muslims, so they cannot openly deny the Creator. In another respect, they are misguided people who imagine that they follow the truth and that the Creator is the created. Their doctrine is thus Pharaoh’s doctrine. Pharaoh, however, was obstinate, openly displaying his denial and defiance, whereas these people are either ignorant and misguided or hypocrites who conceal heresy and denial while outwardly agreeing with the Muslims.

Shaykh ʿAbd al-Sayyid, who had been a judge among the Jews and then embraced Islam, told me the following. He was among the most truthful of people and among the finest Muslims, exemplary in his adherence to Islam. He used to meet with one of their shaykhs, known as al-Sharaf al-Balāsī, who was sought out for knowledge and learning.

He said: “He invited me to embrace this doctrine, so I told him, ‘Your doctrine resembles Pharaoh’s doctrine.’ He replied, ‘We do indeed follow Pharaoh’s doctrine.’”

I asked ʿAbd al-Sayyid, “Did he admit this to you?”

He replied, “Yes.”

At that time, ʿAbd al-Sayyid had discussed this doctrine with me, and I had told him: “This is a corrupt doctrine, and it ultimately amounts to Pharaoh’s doctrine.” He then related this incident to me, and I told him: “I did not think they would admit that they followed Pharaoh’s doctrine. But when an opponent admits his position, no evidence is needed.”

ʿAbd al-Sayyid said: “Then I told him, ‘I will not abandon Moses and go