Translation of the letter:
Is it not that one who does not know the original gold from the fake needs a proper standard to distinguish with it?! Or is it not that one who does not know the difference between the right path and the wrong path needs an expert guide to show him the right path?! Or is it not that one who is trapped in a dark place needs a bright candle to illuminate his surroundings?! Or is it not that one who has lost his eyes needs a sighted guide to take his hand?! Or is it not that one who is drowning needs a firm support to grasp?! Or does any wise person go to the sea without a boat?! Or does any blind person go on a journey without a companion?! In the same way, one who does not know the truth from falsehood needs a criterion to distinguish with it, one who does not know the difference between guidance and misguidance needs a guide to lead him to guidance, one who is trapped in the darkness of doubts needs a candle to make things clear to him, one who is blind to right and wrong needs a guide to take his hand, and one who is drowning in the sea of ignorance needs a support to grasp. Cognition is not possible without a criterion, nor is guidance without a guide, nor is seeing without light, nor is the blind’s journey without a companion, nor is the drowned’s deliverance without a support, nor is crossing the sea without a boat.
Explanation of the letter:
In the book Return to Islam and his other enlightening sayings and writings, he has explained that this criterion, guide, light, companion, support, and boat that the human being needs to save himself is the “sound intellect,” which has become free of ignorance, imitation, passions, worldliness, fanaticism, arrogance, and superstitionism, and this intellect commands following the Book of God and His Caliph, who is free of every impurity and completely pure, and it forbids following others, and without it, there is no difference between the truth and falsehood, light and darkness, guidance and misguidance, or right and wrong.
