“They recite their sacred books, although the fact informs me that these are a fiction from first to last. O Reason, thou (alone) speakest the truth. Then perish the fools who forged the (religious) traditions or interpreted them!” FirstsBookReasonFactsLastsReligiousFictionFoolTraditionSacredForgedReligious Traditions Author:Al-Maʿarri
“O fools, awake! The rites ye sacred hold Are but a cheat contrived by men of old Who lusted after wealth and gained their lust And died in baseness-and their law is dust.” MenLawWealthFoolDiedSacredLustDustAwakeCheatRiteBaseness Author:Al-Maʿarri
“Reason forbade me many things which, Instinctively, my nature was attracted to; And a perpetual loss I feel if, knowing, I believe a falsehood or deny the truth.” IfsFeelsBelieveReasonI BelieveLossKnowingDenyPerpetualFalsehood Author:Al-Maʿarri
“The world holds two classes of men; intelligent men without religion, and religious men without intelligence.” MenWorldTwoReligionReligiousClassAtheismIntelligentAtheistAgnosticThere Is No GodAtheisticPhilosophy Of ReligionAnti ReligiousReligious PhilosophyIntelligent ManThere Being No GodPhilosophy And ReligionDaily AtheistTwo Religions Author:Al-Maʿarri
“They all err - Muslims, Christians, Jews and Magians. There are two kinds of humans - the intelligent, who have no religion, and the religious, who have no intellect.” HumansKindTwoChristianReligiousIntelligentAtheistJewIntellect Author:Al-Maʿarri
“Give a drink of water as alms to the birds which go forth at morning, and deem that they have a better right than men [to thy charity]. For their race brings not harm upon thee in any wise, when thou fearest it from thine own race.” MenGivingWaterRaceMorningWiseDrinkBirdCharityEqualityHarmTheeAlms Author:Al-Maʿarri
“The inhabitants of the earth are of two sorts: Those with brains, but no religion, And those with religion, but no brains.” TwoEarthBrainAtheismAtheist Author:Al-Maʿarri
“Hanifs (Muslims) are stumbling, Christians all astray Jews wildered, Magians far on error’s way. We mortals are composed of two great schools Enlightened knaves or else religious fools.” WayTwoSchoolChristianReligiousFoolErrorsJewMortalsEnlightenedStumblingKnavesGreat Schools Author:Al-Maʿarri