Ali ibn Abi Talib Quotes
Do not share the knowledge with which you have been blessed with everyone in general, as you do with some people in particular; and know that there are some men in whom Allah, may He he glorified, has placed hidden secrets, which they are forbidden to reveal.
Only six years later, the University was intellectually and politically split asunder when the prestigious chairman of the Geology Department wrote that the fossil record was at variance with the date the church had ascribed to Adam and Eve. Vanderbuilt was then controlled by the Tennessee Methodist Episcopal whose Bishop served as its President. See {612709} and {612831}.
Unfortunately, much modern Islamic philosophy and religion sees new knowledge and innovation of ideas as heresy. However, this was not at all true at the beginning of Islam. This narrow-mindedness and intolerance began to develop in 1100, hundreds of hears after Mohammad. Contrast Abu Hanifa with an Islamic modern fundamentalist who claims there can be no valid new knowledge: {620307}.
There was a continuing power struggle between the more powerful kings of Europe and the Roman Catholic Pope. This struggle however was not one of church and state. Neither the kings nor the clergy viewed the two as separate domains. Instead they saw the two in much the same way as the ancient Jews and many contemporary Muslims view relationship—as an inseparable amalgam. However there was much debate over who could best protect and manage the amalgamated entity. In this case Alcuin was arguing that Charlemagne could ensure the well-being of the church better than the Pope. The power struggle went on for centuries between more or less able, powerful, and corrupt kings and popes.
This quotation is one of the great religious ecumenical statements of history. Mani’s religion became extinct. Zoroaster was the prophet who founded the religion of Persia that preceded Islam and still has some followers. Like Judaism and Christianity, it is allowed under Islam as Mohammad had a large part of the Middle East who followed that religion.
Ali ibn Abi Talib was a cousin, son-in-law and companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, who ruled as the fourth caliph from 656 until his assassination in 661. He is one of the central figures in Shia Islam and is regarded as the rightful immediate successor to Muhammad as an Imam by Shia Muslims.
