the sixth cycle, and that ‘Alī was not an imam, but merely a saws (1) for Muhammad. Speak favourably of him, if only as a matter of policy (2). This is an important gateway and a great undertaking, from which you can advance to something still greater and more significant. It will help you do away with what your predecessors brought, through the necessity of abolishing prophethood according to the course he follows. Beware of advancing beyond this gateway except with someone in whom you discern aptitude (3).
Another person you may advance from this to knowledge of the Quran, its author and its cause. Beware of being deceived by many of those who reach this stage with you and thus advancing any of them to another, lest they err in familiarity, shared study and firmly establishing trust in him. This will help you negate prophethood and the books they claim were sent down by Allah.
Another person you may advance to informing him that al-Qā’im (the one who rises) has died, that he rises spiritually, and that created beings return to him in a spiritual form that judges between Allah’s servants by His command—mighty and majestic is He—and that he selects (4) the believers from among the unbelievers in spiritual forms. This too will help you when you bring him to deny the resurrection they claim and the rising from the grave.
Another person you may advance from this to denying the existence of angels in heaven and jinn on earth, and to accepting that there were many human beings before Adam. Establish this with the proofs set out in our books. When he reaches that stage, this will help you make it easier to deny revelation (5) and the sending of angels to human beings, to return to the truth (6), and to affirm the eternity of the world.