Exoteric knowledge explains methods of physical cleanliness and the physical form of worship , while esoteric knowledge concerns itself with inner purification and the inner form of worship . The Anti-Christ would be confined to exoteric knowledge of Islam only and he would not be blessed with the esoteric knowledge which connects man with God ; therefore , he would be ungodly and inhumane . He and his followers would appear to be religious but their hearts would be darkened .
His Divine Eminence Lord Ra Riaz Gohar Shahi declares , ‘ The exoteric knowledge without esoteric knowledge is nothing but mischief .’
The Anti-Christ , being so perfect in the exoteric practice of the religion , will seem to be a devout worshipper of God ; he will abide by the Sharia ( religious law ) recognised by modern Muslims , perform prayers perfectly , recite the Koran and observe fasts . In this way , he will deceive the masses and draw the ignorant clerics of the end times towards him .
Prophet Mohammad warned his companions , ‘ Beware of the ignorant scholar .’ They asked , ‘ How can a scholar be ignorant ?’ The Prophet replied , ‘ An ignorant scholar is one on whose tongue is knowledge but who is dark by the heart .’
[ TIRMIDHI ; BUKHARI ; AL HINDI ( KANZ- UL-AMMAL )] Such scholars in the last days , deprived of the crucial spiritual knowledge , would fall prey to the deception of the Anti-Christ .
The Anti-Christ is mentioned as riding a donkey ; this refers to the Anti-Christ ’ s close relation to the Devil and the fact that he would have the power of the Devil at his disposal . He would indeed have ‘ infidel ’ written on his forehead , but only those with their spiritual eyes open would be able to see it .
THE ANTI-CHRIST : A SUFI ?
Recently , some non-Muslim scholars claimed that Imam Mahdi and the Anti-Christ are one and the same and that the Anti-Christ shall be a Sufi . To furnish their argument , they noted that Prophetic Traditions predicted the Anti-Christ would claim to be God . This claim that the Anti-Christ would be a Sufi is gravely misleading propaganda .
Sufism is the only sect within Islam that believes that man can find union with God . Neither Wahhabis nor Shi ’ ites have this concept in their belief system . In Sufi teachings , there comes a point in a seeker ’ s life - after vigorous spiritual austerity - where they find God and God begins to reside within them . Sufis believe that it is not wrong to call a man who has reached this stage as God ( it is understood that the man himself is not God , but rather that he has a divine presence within him , granted to him by God ).
The notion of the Anti-Christ being a Sufi couldn ’ t be further from the truth . Sufism , being the mystical interpretation of Islam , is the one denomination that has historically embraced non-Muslims and Muslims alike . True Sufis have shown themselves to be peace-loving and completely tolerant . For example , the famous Khwaja Gharib Nawaz in India was popular with Muslims and Hindus alike .
Sufis like those who follow His Divine Eminence Gohar Shahi not only believe in godliness of the preeminent Sufis , but also in the Holy Trinity . Sufis exhibit respect for all religions and recognise that God has the ability to guide whomsoever he wishes regardless of whether or not they are Muslims .
It is the Sufis who are most persecuted by the followers of the true Anti-Christ . This is because the ideology of Sufism is the exact opposite of what the Anti-Christ and his followers project .