Even though, your conclusion was much in contrast to the entire text of the narration (and relieving too!), I cannot help but think that the entire episode only serves to strengthen the theology of the sufis. After all, upon discovering the discrepancy, you tried to stick to your ‘pre-beliefs’. If the sufis acquire much knowledge that is reliable, then you cannot really argue with them over the fact that they acquire the unreliable as well. They’ll want consistency in their beliefs as much as you would like in yours. My only point is: it was your faith prior to your expeditions that got you back on track; on the other hand, if a sufi disciple (nurtured under a different faith ­ claimed to be ‘non-shirk’), then he’ll just end up strengthening his beliefs. How does he know it’s Satan? How could the Christian lady tell it was not the holy spirit?

You are assuming in your question that all humans are primarily born idiots, who have no idea whatsoever as to what is right and what is wrong, at least in the religious sense. People believe in one thing or the other without any good reason, probably because they are born in a family where they find an ideology, which they start believing in or probably they like the beard of the person whose beliefs they then start admiring. On the contrary, the Qur’ān is very emphatic about its claim that man is born with a clear conscience and a sound intellect which enables him to distinguish right from wrong. Those who follow the wrong path don’t do so because they were cleverly misled by someone while they were innocent and had no way to know that they were being deceived. People start following the wrong path, despite knowing from inside that it is wrong, because of their weaknesses and worldly temptations. In case, if there are some people who are misled despite their good intentions, the Almighty, hopefully, will excuse them.

I therefore believe that my article doesn’t serve to support the case of Sufis. If a Sufi is a Muslim, he ought to bring the proofs of his religious claims from the Qur’ān and Sunnah. If he will bring any proofs for his religious ideas from his own ‘spiritual’ experiences which go against these sources, I have no doubt that the Almighty would inform him that the source of all such experiences was Satan, the great deceiver.