It is evident to whoever delves into the history of esoteric movements that afflicted the Muslims that such movements, since their inception, have struggled to overthrow the Islamic state and to return the glories of their Magian ancestors by spreading their esoteric concepts. Here, the religious and political dangers are inseparable, as their religion and creed cannot be established without their power and state. Esoteric movements are hidden, disguised propaganda more than the overt resistance it appears to be. This is how it is different from other sects. It is surrounded by an atmosphere of secrets and full of methods of deceit and deception. The emergence of the esoteric seduction yielded in successive revolutions and turmoil that caused widespread chaos, while establishing their own small scattered nations. Thus, Muslims were faced with vices of which they knew no origin. People started to doubt each other and permissiveness invaded the minds of young people like the plague. No bachelor was trusted in his village, even in his father’s house. Distrust broke the bonds of social and religious unity.

Esotericists represented the most essential reasons that led to the deterioration of the nation, as they relied on distorted Zoroastrian Magi beliefs, as well as other doctrines, creeds and sects that were deteriorating the body of Muslims. Mongols, Tartars and Crusaders’ wars weakened and fragmented the Islamic nation, rendering it a fertile field for esotericists. They became active in their call and took advantage of opportunities to spread their destructive principles. Abu Hamid al-Ghazali explained to us the esotericism and their principles and objectives in a precise statement in his article: “As unanimously agreed by all articles, this call was not initiated by an affiliate of any religion or creed, supported by a prophethood. It is led by a desire to slip away from religion. A group of Magi, Mazdakists, atheistic dualists and a large group of ancient atheist philosophers consulted and agreed to devise a measure that would mitigate the damage they sustained consequent to Muslims seizing and relieve them of the anguish that befell them thereby. They silenced their tongues from uttering what they genuinely believed; their denying the prophets, the Day of Judgement and Resurrection and returning to Allah at the end of all matters. They claimed that all prophets are fake and bogus, who enslave people by the arts of sorcery…” In this context, Al-Ghazali continues: “Then they, the esorists, said that our method is to choose a man who helps us with the doctrine, then we claim that he is from the Prophet’s family and that all people must pledge allegiance and be obedient thereto. He is the caliph of the Prophet, infallible and commits no mistakes by the grace of Allah Almighty. However, we do not spread that claim in the close proximity to the caliph we elected in the capital, as proximity to the house may tear these curtains, while with lone distance, the respondent to the call has less chance to check it and figure out the truth thereof. Their purpose behind all of that is to attain authority and power in order to seize Muslims’ wealth and women and avenge them for the harm, damage and affliction they believe Muslims have caused them”.

Imam Al-Ghazali pointed out the corruption of esoteric beliefs and their methods of spreading their secret call, moving away from the center of the state for fear of raising suspicions around them. Secrecy was their religion and method of revealing what they conceal. Looking at those deviant esoteric sects, we will find that they meet in common grounds among themselves, as follows:

First: Destroying the Islamic faith from within, from its foundations, and adopting beliefs that rely on materialistic philosophies that are disguised by the teachings of atheist or conspirator Persian imams. This is in addition to adopting Kharijites’ theological propositions and thoughts. Among those sects, there are those impacted by the Brahmin of India, the eastern philosophers, the Buddhists and the remnants of the Chaldeans and Persians. They believed in the transmigration of souls and resurrection and claimed the divinity of Ali bin Abi Talib and others.

Second: Those sects introduced a religion and jurisprudence that has nothing to do with Islam for which Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was sent to call, as their objective was to destroy Islam and nullify its pillars one by one; Hajj, zakat, fasting and praying, replacing them with strange acts of worship that differ from what Islamic sharia instructs.

Third: Most of the esoteric sects participated in stirring up strife, conspiring, murdering and violating, in addition to their permissibility of women until they became cheap commodities for those sects.

Fourth: Those sects stood, in general, with every invader or warrior of the Islamic states by providing services and betrayals against them. Evidence is countless in our Islamic history over the past centuries. The main source from which these esoteric sects derived their beliefs was contrary to the principles and foundations on which Islam was built. There is no doubt that these teams were driven by malicious hands towards vice goals and objectives, the foremost of which was distorting the image of Islam in the hearts of its people, as a prelude to undermine it and return to their delusions and falsehoods destroyed by Islam.