As for the first, it is false. Anyone who claims inward knowledge, or knowledge of inward matters, that contradicts outward knowledge is in error: either an unbelieving heretic or an ignorant, misguided person. The second, however, is like discourse concerning outward knowledge: it may be true or false. If inward knowledge does not contradict outward knowledge, its falsity cannot be established on the grounds that it contradicts what is outwardly known. If it is known to be true, it is accepted; if it is known to be false, it is rejected; otherwise, judgment is withheld.
Examples of inward teachings that contradict what is outwardly known include the claims of the esotericist Qarmatians among the Ismā‘īlīs and Nusayrīs, and others like them among the philosophers, extremist Sufis, and speculative theologians who agree with them. The worst of these are the Qarmatians, who claim that the Quran and Islam have an inward meaning that contradicts their outward meaning.
Thus they say that the prescribed “prayer” is not this prayer, or that this prayer is prescribed only for ordinary people. As for the elite, prayer means knowing our secrets; “fasting” means concealing our secrets; and “pilgrimage” means travelling to visit our sanctified shaykhs.
They say that, for the elite, “Paradise” means enjoying pleasures in this world, while the “Fire” means adhering to religious laws and submitting to their burdens. They say that the “Beast” which Allah will bring forth for people is the scholar who speaks with knowledge in every age; that “Isrāfīl,” who blows the Trumpet, is the scholar who breathes his knowledge into hearts until they come alive; that “Gabriel” is the Active Intellect from which beings emanate; and that the “Pen” is the First Intellect