Article 40 — The testament of Aba Al-Sadiq
The Testament of Aba Al-Sadiq: the quest for truth and the mission of the Spirit of Truth
The Goal of the Wise — Door Number Forty
Read aloud in English
How can we recognize the truth when it calls into question everything we thought we knew? And what does it mean to devote one's life to seeking it?
The fortieth Door of The Goal of the Wise occupies a deeply personal place in the book.
In it, Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq (From Him is Peace) looks back on his spiritual quest and on the mission he claims to have received.
This chapter does not present itself merely as a doctrinal explanation.
It also constitutes a testimony about a religious journey, a search for knowledge and a particular conception of divine guidance.
1. The promise of the Spirit of Truth
The chapter opens with a reference to the Gospel according to John, chapter 16.
There, Jesus announces the coming of the Spirit of Truth, who will guide into the truth.
This passage has received different interpretations in the Christian traditions.
In The Goal of the Wise, the author integrates it into his understanding of the continuity of divine guidance.
He considers that the promise of Jesus has an important significance for the spiritual mission described in the book.
2. A life devoted to seeking
The author recounts having devoted many years to seeking the truth.
He mentions his prayers, his questions and his desire to understand God.
This search is not limited to a religious affiliation.
It involves calling certain certainties into question and examining the teachings received.
The chapter presents this approach as a preparation for the discovery of the mission he claims.
3. Knowledge and responsibility
In the first Doors, the author had presented divine knowledge as one of the criteria for recognizing an authentic guide.
The fortieth Door returns to this question through his own journey.
According to the logic of the book, receiving spiritual knowledge also implies a responsibility.
This responsibility concerns transmission, teaching and personal conduct.
4. The Testament as continuity
The Testament occupies a central place throughout the book.
It represents the designation and the continuity of spiritual authority.
In this Door, the theme takes on a particular dimension, because the author associates it with his own mission.
It is therefore not only a document or a historical memory.
The Testament is presented as an element of the relationship between the guide, his mission and those who recognize his authority.
5. Truth and the trial of doubt
Spiritual seeking necessarily encounters difficulties.
How can one distinguish a deep conviction from a sufficiently grounded conclusion?
How can one examine an extraordinary claim?
The book proposes its own criteria of recognition.
The reader can study them by distinguishing the author's assertions, the references he draws on and the possible interpretations.
6. A mission turned toward the future
The fortieth Door comes at the end of a long doctrinal journey.
After addressing the Covenants, the soul, creation, justice and the events of the Rise, the book returns to the question of personal mission.
The author presents his approach as being part of the fulfillment of religious promises.
Conclusion — What does it truly mean to seek the truth?
The Testament of Aba Al-Sadiq presents a spiritual testimony in which the search for God, knowledge and the religious mission are closely linked.
It invites reflection on a question that runs through the entire book:
Are we ready to examine a possible truth even when it does not correspond to our expectations?