The dichotomy between esoterism and exoterisms is adumbrated in the Quran by the figures of Haarun (alai) and Musa (alai) and also in Musa (alai) and Al-Khidr (alai).

Musa (alai) says:

'Lord, open my breast....
....and do Thou ease for me my task.
Unloose the knot upon my tongue,
that they may understand my words,
Appoint for me of my folk a familiar,
Aaron, my brother; by him confirm
my strength, and associate him with me
in my task. (20:25-35)

The Quran accords Haarun (alai) an important place alongside Musa (alai),and he is sometimes deemed a Prophet in his own right representing the esoteric dimension as Musa (alai) represents the exoteric. Musa (alai) is identified with exoterism because his revelation consists above all of the Mosaic Law.

The outwardness of Musa (alai)' mission is emphasized in the story of his encounter with al-Khidr (alai), the personification of esoteric wisdom.

Musa (alai) does not see beyond the facts of al-Khidr (alai)'s actions to understand their ultimate nature.

So they found one
Of Our servants.
On whom We has bestowed
Mercy from Ourselves
And whom We had taught
Knowledge from Our own
Presence.

Moses said to him:
"May I follow thee,
On the footing that
Thou teach me something
Of the (Higher) Truth
Which thou hast been taught?"

(The other) said: "Verily
Thou wilt not be able
To have patience with me!

"For how canst thou
Have patience about things
Which are beyond your knowledge?"

Moses said: "Thou wilt
Find me, if Allah so will,
(Truly) patient: nor shall I
Disobey thee in aught."

The other said: "If then
Thou wouldst follow me,
Ask me no questions
About anything until I
Myself speak to thee
Concerning it."

So they both proceeded:
Until, when they were
In the boat, he scuttled it.
Said Moses: "Hast thou
Scuttled it in order
To drown those in it?
Truly a strange thing
Hast thou done!"

He answered: "Did I not
Tell thee that thou canst
Have no patience with me?"

Moses said: Rebuke me not
For forgetting, nor grieve me
By raising difficulties
In my case."

Then they proceeded:
Until, when they met
A young boy, he slew him.
Moses said: "Hast thou
Slain an innocent person
Who has slain none?
Truly a foul (unheard - of) thing
Hast thou done!"

He answered: "Did I not
Tell thee that thou canst
Have no patience with me?"

(Moses) said: "If ever I
Ask thee about anything
After this, Keep me not
In thy company: then wouldst
Thou have received (full) excuse
From my side.

Then they proceeded:
Until, when they came
To the inhabitants of a town,
They asked them for food,
But they refused them
Hospitality. They found there
A wall on the point of
Falling down, but he
Set it up straight,
(Moses) said: "if thou
Hadst wished, surely thou
Couldst have exacted some
Recompense for it!"

He answered: "This is
The parting between me
And thee: now will I
Tell thee the interpretation
Of (those things) over which
Thou wast unable
To hold patience.

" As for the boat,
It belonged to certain
Men in dire want:
They plied on the water:
I but wished to render it
Unserviceable, for there was
After them a certain king
Who seized on every boat
By force.

" As for the youth,
His parents were people
Of Faith, and we feared
That he would grieve them
By obstinate rebellion
And ingratitude (to Allah)

" So we desired that
Their Lord would give them
In exchange (a son)
Better in purity (of conduct)
And closer in affection.

"As for the wall,
It belonged to two youths,
Orphans, in the Town;
There was, beneath it,
A buried treasure, to which
They were entitled; their father
Had been a righteous man;
So thy Lord desired that
They should attain their age
Of full strength and get out
Their treasure-a mercy
(And favour), from thy Lord.
I did it not of my own
Accord. Such is the interpretation
Of (those things) over which
Thou wast unable
To hold patience." (18:65-82)

Explanations:
Although the name of "One of our servants" is not mentioned in the Quran, tradition gives it as Khidr (alai).

Khidr (alai) had two special gifts from Allah: (1) Mercy from Him, and (2) Knowledge from him too. The first freed him from the ordinary incidents of daily human life; and the second entitled him to interpret the inner meaning and mystery of events.

To the simple request of Musa (alai), to know more about the special knowledge, al Khidr (alai) seems to turn down the request as the highest knowledge often seems paradoxical to those who have not the key to it.

The rest of the story is self explanatory.

As for Haarun (alai) the Quran accords an important place alongside Musa (alai), and he is sometimes deemed a Prophet in his own right representing the esoteric dimension.

In the Quranic episode of the golden calf, while Musa (alai) is on Mount Sinai, the people make, and pay homage to, an idol. Haarun (alai) says to them:

'My people, you have been tempted
by this thing, no more; surely
Your Lord is the All-merciful; therefore
follow me, and obey my commandment!'
'We will not cease,' they said, 'to cleave
to it, until Moses returns to us.' (20;92-93)

When Musa (alai) returns he reproaches his brother;

'What prevented thee,
Aaron, when thou sawest them in error,
so that thou didst not follow after me?
Didst thou then disobey my commandment?'
'Son of my mother,' Aaron said,
'take me not by the beard, or the head!
I was fearful that thou wouldst say,
"Thou hast divided the Children of Israel,
and thou hast not observed my word." ' (20:94-96)

Because it opens on to the formless, esoterism threatens to shatter dogma, and the shariah; nonetheless, its presence inevitably depends upon exoterism's revealed forms.

When exoterism is absent, as symbolized in this episode by Musa (alai)' absence on the mountain, orthodoxy is lost and disintegration follows; when the formal hold of religious dogmas weakens, fissiparous heresy is given free rein.

It can therefore be said that the test of orthodox esoterism is that it does not contradict exoterism. The realization towards which esoterism is directed implies rather the transcending of form through form.

The higher the spiritual aspiration, the more important and strict the observance of religious law becomes.

Esoterism depends upon exoterism in yet another way: without exoterism, the truth is "invisible". Light in itself is a revelation, but unless it illuminates forms it "shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not".

It is only, through form, in the sense of exoterism and also of a defined corpus of revelation, that it is possible to attain to formless truth: "I am the door...." On the other hand, without esoterism the form becomes empty and a dead letter: "They have no wine".

As al-Hujwiri says: The exoteric aspect of Truth without the esoteric is hypocrisy, and the esoteric without the exoteric is heresy. So, with regard to the Law, mere formality is defective, while mere spirituality is vain.

In the person of our Prophet Muhammed (sal) we find the two ways, exoterisms and esoterisms, joined in one and embodied in their fullness, He was a lawgiver but also the channel for an outpouring of ridwan ("felicitous union"), as took place in the event of the Pact of Hudaybiyyah. Among his two hundred names are Miftah ar-Rahmah ("the Key of Mercy"), Sayyid al-Kawnayn ("Supreme Leader of the Two Worlds"), "the Fount of Grace", "the Master of the Lofty Degree".

Many of the Hadith, such as "who has seen me has seen the truth" (man ra ani faqad ra al-haqq), completely elude being coherently enclosed in any purely exoteric interpretation.

Indeed, Islam, of all religions, is remardably balanced in this respect.

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