legalistic fashion and both were deified by extremists among their ‘would be’ supporters.

Those who would restrict religion to its outward expressions open the way to the exploitation of religion for worldly gain, because it is the spiritual dimension of religion that supports the kind of heartfelt dedication needed for the nourishment of moral fiber. This is a theme that figures prominently in the Christian gospels, particularly in the Messiah's condemnation of the scholars of Jewish law, the Pharisees and it recurs in the conflict between Imam 'Ali ('a) and his opponents.

Both Jesus ('a) and Imam 'Ali ('a) enjoin the proper observance of religious law while they reject empty literalism and the immorality it fosters. The condemnation of the misuse of religious knowledge for worldly gain is condemned by Imam 'Ali ('a) when he mentions how it was condemned by Jesus ('a):

It is reported that the Commander of the Faithful ('a) said, “Jesus the son of Mary ('a) said, 'The dinar is the illness of religion and the scholar (al-'alim) is the physician of religion. So if you see that the physician brings illness upon himself, distrust him and know that he is not to advise others.”(1)

Another prominent feature of the esoteric dimension of religion is the emphasis on supererogatory devotions. The importance of spiritual discipline is emphasized by Imam 'Ali ('a) when he describes the austerities of Jesus ('a):

It is reported that Imam 'Ali ('a) said in one of his sermons: “If you like, I will tell

p: 2