“Am I a fraud, then, or a scholar? I am both, of course, as we all are. Half of what I know I do not believe. Half of what I believe I cannot prove. For the rest, I hope to muddle through and my mistakes go without comment.”

“Inexperience people think that books will lead the one of intellect to understanding. But the ignoramus doesn’t know that in these books are ambiguos that will confuse even the most intelligent of people. If you try to learn this knowledge without a teacher you will go astray and affairs will become so confusing to you that you will be more astray than Toma*, the physician.*توما الحكيم”

“يظن الغمر أن الكتب تهدى … … أخاً فهم لإدراك العلوموما يدرى الجهول بأن فيها … … غوامض حيرت عقل الفهيمإذا رمت العلوم بغير شيخ … … ضللت عن الصراط المستقيموتلتبس الأمور عليك حتى … … تصير أضل من ‘توما الحكيم”

“Someday I must read this scholar Everyone. He seems to have written so much–all of it wrong.”