Know, O aspirant to the divine secrets, that every science has its masters and every treasure its guardians. Just as the worldly alchemist does not seek the secret of transforming metals in the huts of the poor or the shops of the common blacksmith, but rather from the masters of that rare and noble craft and from the courts of kings where such knowledge is preserved, so too must you understand the source of the True Alchemy.
The science of transforming the soul—the art of turning the copper of a base character into the gold of angelic virtue—is not found in every marketplace of ideas. It is not a commodity to be bought and sold, nor is it a philosophy to be deduced by mere intellect. The secrets to eternal happiness (Sa’adat) are the most precious jewels in existence, and they are kept in a single, sublime treasury: the Treasury of Allah.
And what is this treasury? It is not a storehouse of gold and silver. The true treasures of Allah are two: the purified hearts of the Prophets and the obedient spirits of the Angels. It is through these chosen vessels that the divine light of guidance flows to creation.
Therefore, let it be known with absolute certainty: whoever seeks the knowledge of the path to Allah from any source other than the Prophets—be it from his own flawed reasoning, the whispers of Satan, or the doctrines of misguided philosophers—will inevitably go astray. The end of such a person will be ruin, and his life’s pursuit will culminate in nothing but regret.
What will he have gained? He will have gathered nothing more than his own fleeting thoughts and feeble guesswork. He will have built his faith on a foundation of doubt and speculation. He will only come to know the true reality at the moment when it is too late to return—on the Day of Judgment. On that day, the true nature of every soul will be exposed. The false “gold” he manufactured through his ego will be revealed for what it always was: base copper, laid bare for all to see.
On that fateful day, it will be said to the one who was blind in this world despite his sight, as Allah declares in the Holy Quran:
فَكَشَفْنَا عَنكَ غِطَاءَكَ فَبَصَرُكَ الْيَوْمَ حَدِيدٌ
“But We have removed from you your cover, so your sight, this Day, is sharp.” (Surah Qaf, 50:22)
On that Day, the barriers of the world will be lifted. The excuses will vanish. The soul will see with perfect clarity the path it was supposed to take and the Lord it was meant to meet, but the chance to return will have passed.
This is why Allah, in His infinite mercy, did not leave humanity to wander in this darkness. He sent not one, but approximately 124,000 Prophets, upon them all be peace. What was their universal mission? It was to act as the master alchemists for the human race. They were sent with one primary purpose: to clean the hearts of men from the rust of bad habits, the filth of worldly attachments, and the corrosion of sin—all the impurities that prevent the heart from reflecting the divine reality.
To seek this knowledge elsewhere is to reject this immense mercy and to choose certain misguidance. The path to Allah begins and ends with following the guidance of those whom Allah Himself appointed as guides