▁or ▁Universal ▁Intel lect , ▁the ▁first ▁branch ▁that ▁grew ▁upon ▁it , ▁is ▁the ▁first ▁creation ▁among ▁the ▁world s . ▁This ▁notion ▁of ▁be ings ▁with ▁both ▁divine ▁and ▁e ph em eral ▁n atures ▁pres ages ▁a ▁similar ▁doctrine ▁of ▁the ▁Man ifest ation ▁in ▁B áb ism ▁and ▁the ▁Bah á ʼ í ▁faith s , ▁relig ions ▁whose ▁orig ins ▁are ▁root ed ▁in ▁the ▁Sh ay k hi ▁spiritual ▁tradition . ▁ ▁Le ad ership ▁of ▁the ▁movement ▁ ▁Sh ay kh ▁A hm ad ▁ ▁Sh ay kh ▁A hm ad , ▁at ▁about ▁age ▁forty , ▁began ▁to ▁study ▁in ▁earnest ▁in ▁the ▁Sh i ʻ a ▁cent res ▁of ▁religious ▁scholar ship ▁such ▁as ▁Kar b ala ▁and ▁Naj af . ▁ ▁He ▁att ained ▁sufficient ▁recognition ▁in ▁such ▁circles ▁to ▁be ▁declared ▁a ▁mu jt ah id , ▁an ▁interpreter ▁of ▁Islam ic ▁Law . ▁ ▁He ▁cont ended ▁with ▁S uf i ▁and ▁Ne o - Pl aton ist ▁sch ol ars , ▁and ▁att ained ▁a ▁positive ▁reputation ▁among ▁their ▁det ract ors . ▁ ▁He ▁declared ▁that ▁all ▁knowledge ▁and ▁sciences ▁were ▁contained ▁( in ▁essential ▁form ) ▁within ▁the ▁Q ur ʼ an , ▁and ▁that ▁to ▁excel ▁in ▁the ▁sciences , ▁all ▁knowledge ▁must ▁be ▁g lean ed ▁from ▁the ▁Q ur ʼ an . ▁His ▁leadership ▁style ▁and ▁approach ▁to ▁interpretation ▁draw ▁both ▁on ▁traditional ▁and ▁the osoph ical ▁methods , ▁attempting ▁to ▁harm on ize ▁these