Fusus: The bezel of the wisdom of divinity exists in the essence of Adam.

Chapter 1.

The bezel of the wisdom of divinity exists in the essence of Adam.

 In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Praise be to God who has sent down from eternity many kinds of wisdom upon the hearts of the perfect humans in a unique way, even if the sects and religious communities vary due to the diversity of nations. May God bless and protect him who bestows spiritual aspirations from the treasuries of His generosity and kindness through the most valuable statements.

 I saw God’s Messenger in a vision during the latter part of the month in the year 627 (1229) in Damascus. Holding a book in his hand, he said to me, “This is the book of The Bezels of Wisdom; take it and bring it to the people so that they might benefit from it.” I replied, “I hear and obey God, His Messenger, and those in authority among us as we are commanded.” Therefore, I fulfilled the Messenger’s wish with sincere intention, pure aim, and aspiration, making this book manifest as God’s Messenger determined, without increase or decrease.

 

I asked God to include me, both in this mission and in all my states, among His servants over whom the Devil has no authority. I also asked Him that in all that my fingers may write, in all that my tongue may utter, and in all that my heart may contain, He bestow only upon my mind glorified revelation and spiritual blowing through His protective support. I sought this for the purpose of being a transmitter and not one who writes according to his own thoughts. Consequently, those who learn it, among the people of God, the people of contemplation, may be certain that it originates in the Place of Sanctification that is exempt from personal interests and deception.

 

I hope that God, having heard my prayer, will respond to my call, for I shall convey only that which He conveyed to me, and I shall not include in this book anything except that which God sent down to me. I am neither a prophet nor a messenger, but only an heir (of prophets and messengers) preparing for the world to come.

 

Hear from God! And return to God! When you hear what I bring, pay attention! Then through understanding the details, combine them into a whole. Then bestow it upon its seekers and do not withhold it from them. This is the Mercy that embraces you, so make it known to others.

 

I asked God to be one of those who are given revelation and accept it, and of those who are restricted by the pure Law and who accept its restrictions and impose it upon others. May God gather us in His group as He made us part of His community. The first chapter that the Lord reveals to the servant is as follows:

 

The bezel of the wisdom of divinity exists in the essence of Adam. The Real, from the perspective of His Names, wanted to see the essences of His uncountable Most Beautiful Names, as they truly operate, or if you wish, to see His Essence, in an all-inclusive being containing all of them and qualified by existence. Through this being, His mystery will be revealed to Him. This is because one’s self-seeing is not like seeing oneself in another, which serves as a mirror for the seer. The reason for this preference is that the mirror reveals to the seer in a shape determined by the substrate which one observes. If such a substrate does not exist and does not appear to the seer, he cannot see himself.

 

Consequently, the Real brought the whole cosmos into existence, an existence of an indistinct shape without a spirit in it; it was like an unpolished mirror. According to God’s customary rule, He does not create a substrate unless it receives the divine spirit, which is expressed by “breathing into it.” This breathing means the coming into being of a predisposition of this created form to receive the constant revealed overflow, which has not ceased and will never cease. There exists only a receptacle, which derives from His holy overflow. All existents come from Him, their beginning and their end, and all things are brought back to God, just as they begin from Him.

 

The revelation of all things required the disclosure of the mirror of the world. Adam was equal to the clarity of this mirror and the spirit of this form (that is, the mirror). The angels were among the faculties of this form, that is, the form of the world, which is referred to in popular terminology as “the Great Human Being.” The angels relate to the world like the relationship between the spiritual and sensual faculties in the human structure (to the body). Each of these faculties is veiled by its own nature from seeing something greater than its essence, as it claims that it has competence for every high position and exalted rank with God because it possesses divine all-comprehensiveness, which goes back to the divine side and to the side of the Reality of Realities.

 

This understanding is not known by the intellect through rational observation, but rather this kind of perception originates only in divine unveiling. Through this divine unveiling, the foundation of the forms of the world, which contain its spirits, is understood.

 

The entity mentioned above is called a human being and the vicegerent of God. As for his humanness, it derives from his comprehensive structure and his encompassing of all realities. The human being relates to the Real (God) as the pupil relates to the eye, and through the pupil, seeing occurs. Hence, he is called human being and pupil, because through him the Real looks at His creation and has mercy on them. This human being is both created in time and is eternal, coming into being and living forever. He is both the separating and unifying principle (literally: word). The world owes its existence to him. His relation to the world is like the relationship of the bezel of the seal ring to the seal ring. The human being is the instrument (literally: place or substrate) and the sign by which the King seals His treasure.

 

Because of this function, God calls him the vicegerent, for through him God preserves His creation, just as the seal ring preserves the treasures. As long as the King’s seal is on the treasures, no one dares to open them except with His permission. For this reason, God has appointed him as a vicegerent who preserves His possessions. As long as the Perfect Human Being remains, the world will not cease to exist. Do you not see that when he disappears, and the seal of the treasure of the world is broken, nothing of what the Real preserved in the treasure will remain, and all the parts that exist will become united with each other and will all move to another world?

 

He (the Perfect Human Being) will be an everlasting seal on the treasure of another world. All that exists in the divine forms, that is, (God’s) names, manifests in the human structure. Hence, these forms attained the rank of being encompassed and included in the existence of the human structure. Through this existence, God argues against the angels.

 

So take care because God teaches you a lesson through (telling you the story of) another, and think about the reason for blaming someone. The angels were neither aware of the essence of this vicegerent nor of the essential servitude required by the presence of the Real. For no one knows about the Real except that which is given to him by one’s essence. The angels neither had the comprehensive nature of Adam nor perceived the divine names that particularize his nature and through which God is glorified and sanctified. Furthermore, the angels did not know that God has other names through which they can glorify and sanctify Him as Adam did.

 

This situation overwhelmed them and caused them to ask regarding the human being: “How can You put someone there who will cause damage and bloodshed?” These words express only quarreling, and the essence of their behavior—what they said regarding Adam reflects their attitude toward the Real. If their structure had not imposed on them such ignorance of God's names, they would not have questioned Adam. If they had known their souls (or selves), they would have known their predisposition, and if they had known, they would have been protected from ascribing sins to the human being. Furthermore, the angels continued to disparage Adam, claiming that contrary to Adam, they glorify and sanctify God.

 

Adam knew the divine Names that the angels did not know; thus, they could neither glorify their Lord nor sanctify Him through those names as Adam did. The Real described to us what transpired (between Him and the angels) so that we might understand it and behave toward Him accordingly. Consequently, we should not claim too much of what we realize and encompass with limited knowledge. How can we make unrestricted claims about what we have no experience or knowledge of without ending in disgrace?

 

This lesson serves as divine instruction through which the Real educates His servants, the well-mannered, the faithful, the vicegerents. Let us now return to the Wisdom mentioned above and say: Know that the universals, even if they have no concrete existence in themselves, are undoubtedly perceived and known by the mind.

 

Although they are always hidden from concrete existence, they determine and influence each concrete existent. Moreover, the concrete existents relate only to the universals, which I mean to say are the (fixed) entities of the concrete things. The universals are always intelligible in themselves.

 

The universals are manifest from the perspective of concrete existents, yet hidden from the angle of their intelligibility. Every concrete existent depends on the universals; these cannot be disconnected from the intellect. The universals cannot exist in a concrete manner such that they cease to be intelligible. Whether the concrete existence is temporal or not, its relationship with the universal is always the same. However, the universal serves as the source of the determinative rule for the concrete existents according to the requirements of the latter’s essences; it is analogous to the relationship of knowledge to the knower, and life to the living.

 

This is because life and knowledge are intelligible realities that differ from each other. We also say concerning the Real that He possesses knowledge and life, hence He is knowing and living. We say regarding the angel that he has knowledge and life; thus, he is knowing and living, and the same applies to the human being. The reality of knowledge is one, as is the reality of life, and the relationship of each to the knower and living (respectively) is one.

 

Regarding the knowledge of the Real, we state that it is eternal, while the knowledge of the human being is brought into being. Consider the determinative rule that the relationship between the act and its agent creates regarding the intelligible reality, and observe the connection between the intelligible and the concrete existents. Just as the knowledge defines that the entity in which it exists is called a knower, so the knower (literally: the one who is described by knowledge) determines that the knowledge is brought into being regarding the knower who has been brought into being, and that the knowledge is eternal concerning the eternal entity. Each of the two (knowledge and knower) is both determinative and determined.

 

It is known that even if the universals are intelligible, they hold no concrete existence but only the (power) of determination, as they are determined by their relationship to the concrete existent. The universals are determined by the concrete existents, but it is implausible for them to allow particularization and division, for they exist within their essences in each entity they qualify, just as humanity exists within each individual of this particular species, remaining neither particularized nor divided by the multiplicity of individuals. Even though the universals are present in concrete existents, they (the universals) remain intelligible.

 

If the connection between that which has concrete existence and that which lacks such existence is affirmed, then this would be a nonexistent relationship. Thus, the connection between the concrete existents to each other is more readily perceived by the intellect because concrete existence unifies them, whereas in the former case (the connection between the concrete existents and the universals), there is no unifying element. Hence, there exists a connection without a unifying element; however, a connection with a unifying element is stronger and more accurate.

 

There is no doubt that the bringing into being of that which is brought into being and the need of the latter for a bringer into being is confirmed, for the brought into being is possible in virtue of itself. Consequently, its existence derives from another, making it connected to another through a relationship of need.

 

The entity on which the brought into being relies (for its existence) is undoubtedly a necessary existent by virtue of its essence; for its existence, it does not require another entity. It is He (God) who bestows existence upon this coming-into-being thing by His essence, and the brought into being relies on Him (for its existence). Since God’s essence necessitates the existence of the brought into being, the brought into being is a necessary entity by virtue of God.

 

Since the brought into being relies on the entity from which it emerges, due to the essence of this entity, this connection necessitates that the brought into being reflects the source’s form. This means that each name and attribute of the source is ascribed to the brought into being, except for essential necessity, for the latter is inadmissible regarding the brought into being; while the brought into being is a necessary existent, it is necessitated by another rather than itself.

 

Moreover, you should know that since what we mentioned about the emergence of the human being in His form is correct, God caused us to know Him through the observation of the brought into being and indicated that He showed us His signs in the brought into being, allowing us to draw evidence about Him from ourselves. The description through which we describe Him is merely the description of ourselves, except for the unique essential necessity that belongs to Him alone.

 

Since we come to know Him through understanding ourselves, we ascribe to Him all that we ascribe to ourselves. This idea is corroborated by divine messages that come to us through the prophets. In these messages, He described Himself to us through us. If we witness Him, we witness ourselves, and if He witnesses us, He witnesses Himself.

 

In terms of being (numerous) individuals and species, we surely know that there is a distinction through which individuals are differentiated from one another. If this principle did not exist, multiplicity could not persist in one entity. Likewise, even if He describes us through what He describes of Himself, that is, through all aspects, there should still be a difference: our need of Him for our existence versus the fact that our existence depends on Him. This is because we are possible entities, whereas He is not in need of that which we need.

 

Consequently, it is correct to ascribe eternity and pre-existence to Him while denying antecedence, which would imply a beginning of existence from nonexistence. Although He is the First, antecedence cannot be ascribed to Him. For this reason, it is said of Him that He is the Last. If His antecedence were understood as antecedence in the realm of limited existence, it would be impossible for Him to be the Last existent, for there is no last possible being, as possible things are infinite, and thus there is no last possible entity.

 

He is the Last, only because everything returns to Him after being attributed to us. Hence, in essence, He is both the Last and the First. You should know that God characterized Himself as the Outward and the Inward, bringing the world into existence in two forms—invisible and visible—so that we might perceive the Inward through the invisible (things) in ourselves and the Outward through the visible things in ourselves.

 

He described Himself through satisfaction and anger, while bringing the world into existence in a way that encompasses fear and hope, so that people would fear His anger and hope for His satisfaction. He depicts Himself as beautiful and possessing majesty, thus bringing us into existence with the attributes of reverence and intimacy.

 

In this manner, one should understand all that is ascribed to God and all His names. He expressed each pair of attributes through His two hands, which turn from Him toward the creation of the Perfect Human Being, for he combines the realities of the world and its individual things. Since the world is visible (literally: witness) and the vicegerent is invisible, the Ruler (God) is veiled. The Real describes Himself as concealed behind dark veils, which are natural bodies, and through luminous veils, which are subtle spirits.

 

The universe exists either dense or subtle; it veils itself and therefore cannot perceive the Real as it perceives itself. It remains covered by a veil that will not be removed, knowing that because of its need for its creator, it is distinct from Him. Moreover, it has no share in the essential necessity that characterizes the existence of the Real, thus it will never perceive Him. The Real will never be known by the universe, either through mystical experience or by physical witness, for the created in time has no part in the knowledge of the eternal.

 

God combined in Adam the pair of contradictory traits to honor him. For this reason, He said to Iblis: "What prevented you from prostrating to the human being that I created with My two hands?" Iblis refused to prostrate because Adam combined in himself two forms: the form of the cosmos and the form of the Real; both are the two hands of the Real, while Iblis is part of the cosmos which does not possess this combination.

 

Therefore, Adam became the vicegerent, and if he were not manifest in the form of that which made him vicegerent, he would not be a vicegerent. And if he did not embody all that which the subjects, that depend on him for their needs, require, he would not be their vicegerent. Consequently, vicegerency is valid only concerning the Perfect Human Being.

 

For this reason, God created his manifest form from the realities of the cosmos and its forms, and his invisible form in the form of God. Hence, God said of him: "I was his hearing and his seeing," and He did not say, "I was his eye and his ear." He distinguished between the two forms. Just as the Real is in the Perfect Human Being, He is in each existent of the cosmos to the extent that the reality of each existent requires.

 

However, no existent possesses the combination of traits found in the vicegerent. He attained this status of vicegerency solely due to this combination. If the Real did not pervade the existents through His form, the cosmos would not exist. Likewise, if the universal intelligible realities did not exist, the concrete existents would not be determinable. Thus, we derive from this truth noted above the universe’s need for God for its existence.

 

All things need God and cannot dispense with Him; this is the truth we express plainly. If you mention He who does not need anything, you know whom we mean. Everything is connected to everything without being separated, so learn from me what I say.

 

Now you know the wisdom of the creation of Adam, which is his external form, and you understand the creation of his spirit, which is his internal form, and this is the truth regarding creation. Moreover, you know the creation of his position, which is the combination of traits that made him worthy of vicegerency. Adam is the single soul from which God created the human species. This is affirmed in God’s saying: "O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate, and from the pair of them scattered abroad many men and women..."

 

His saying "fear your Lord" means making your external side a protection for your Lord, and your internal side, that is God, a protection for you. This is because the attitude toward human behavior consists of blame and praise; you should protect Him from blame (do not blame Him) and protect yourselves from praise (do not ascribe praise to yourselves); only then will you be well-mannered and knowledgeable.

 

Then, God showed Adam what He placed in him, and He made it abide in two aspects relating to Adam: the first aspect is the world, and the second is Adam and his progeny, explaining the grades of his progeny.

 

The author said: Since God showed me in secret what He placed in this great progenitor, I have recorded in this book what He established for me, not everything I have been taught, for all the knowledge I received cannot be included in a book or in the existing world.

 

The following is what I witnessed, that is, what God’s messenger deposited in this book as He established it for me.

The bezel of each kind of wisdom is the essence ascribed to it. In the kinds of wisdom I mentioned in this book, I limited myself to what was established in the Source of the Book. I copied what the Messenger dictated to me and did not go beyond what was established for me. Even if I wished to increase the contents given to me, I would not be able to do so, for God’s presence prevents this action. It is God Who grants success, and there is no Lord except Him.

Summary:.

Key Themes:
Divine Self-Manifestation:

Adam as God's Mirror: Adam, being the first human, is seen as the perfect mirror in which the divine attributes of God can be fully reflected. God created Adam to know Himself and to be known.
Universal Man (Insan Al-Kamil): Ibn Arabi introduces the concept of the Universal Man, where Adam represents the complete manifestation of divine attributes. The Universal Man is the intermediary between the divine and creation.
Creation and Knowledge:

Names of God: The concept that Adam was taught "all the Names" signifies the comprehensive knowledge of God’s attributes. This unique knowledge positions Adam (and thus, humanity) as a central figure in the divine plan.
God’s Viceregent (Khalifa): Adam was appointed as God’s vicegerent on Earth, symbolizing human responsibility and the potential to reflect divine wisdom and justice in the world.
Existence and Essence:

Existential Reality: Ibn Arabi discusses the essence of Adam as reflective of divine wisdom. Adam’s existence brings about the unfolding of divine realities in the material world.
Unity and Multiplicity: Explores the unity of divine essence manifesting in the multiplicity of creation, with Adam at the center of this manifestation.
The Role of Wisdom:

Divine Wisdom: The essence of Adam is the locus of divine wisdom, suggesting that human beings have the innate capacity to grasp divine truths through introspection and spiritual practices.
Balance and Perfection: Adam represents the balanced perfection of creation, harmonizing spirit and matter, divine and earthly elements.
Spiritual Significance:

Human Potential: Ibn Arabi emphasizes the spiritual potential within each human being to connect with the divine, following the exemplar of Adam.
Mystical Insight: The chapter encourages readers to seek mystical insight (gnosis) and realize their own nature as reflections of divine wisdom.
Conclusion:
Reflecting Divine Attributes: The chapter concludes with the notion that the purpose of human existence is to reflect and realize divine attributes, which were first embodied in Adam.
Path to Wisdom: Emphasizes the journey of returning to this primordial state of understanding and unity with the divine, achievable through spiritual refinement and divine remembrance.
Summary Points:
Adam as the perfect mirror of God's attributes.
Universal Man concept: Adam embodies divine names and knowledge.
Adam’s role as God’s vicegerent, reflecting divine justice and wisdom.
Unity and multiplicity in creation with Adam at the center.
Human potential for spiritual insight and divine connection.
The balance of spirit and matter in human existence.
This chapter illustrates the profound connection between divine wisdom and human nature, positioning Adam as the archetype of spiritual perfection and divine reflection.

Chapter 2.

The wisdom of expiration exists in the essence of Seth.

Know that the external gifts and grants in the world, which are given through people and not through them, are divided into two kinds: gifts deriving from the Essence of God and gifts deriving from His Names. The people of mystical experience distinguish between them. Also, the two kinds of gifts are given in response to a specific or a non-specific request. Moreover, there are gifts, whether of the Essence or of the Names, which are given without a request. One who wants a specific gift will ask: “O my Lord, give me such a thing,” and he will specify a certain thing, not another. One who wants a non-specific gift will say: “Give me what You know is in my best interest for any part of my being, whether subtle or dense,” without specifying a certain thing.

 

Those who ask are divided into two kinds: those who are motivated to ask because of a natural inclination to hasten matters, for the human being was created hasty; and those who are urged to request because they know that there are things belonging to God that cannot be attained except by request. One in this group may say to himself that perhaps what we ask of God is of this kind. Hence, his request expresses a precautionary measure, because of the possibility that there are things which God can give only upon request. This is because he cannot know what God knows, nor can he know what his predisposition permits him to receive, since one of the obscure objects of knowledge is knowing one’s predisposition in each instant at that moment. However, if the predisposition did not motivate him to request something, he would not request it.

 

The best knowledge attained by the People of Presence with God, who do not know their predisposition, is the knowledge of their gift at the moment of its reception. Because they are present with God, they know what God grants them at this time and that they receive it through their predisposition. They are divided into two groups: those who know from what they have received what their predisposition is, and those who know from their predisposition what they may receive. The latter is more complete than the former. Among those who belong to the second group are certain individuals who ask neither because they want to hasten the reception of the gift nor because there are many possible things to be given, but only to obey God’s command in His saying: “If you call on Me, I will answer you” (40:60). Whoever does so is a pure servant. This is because this requester has no aspiration, whether specific or not, connected with what he requests; he merely wishes to obey his Lord’s command. If his state requires him to make a request, he will ask for servanthood, and if his state requires entrusting his affairs to God and silence, he will be silent. Job and others were afflicted by suffering, and they did not ask God to remove their affliction. Then, at another time, their state required them to request the removal of it, and God removed it from them.

 

Hastening or slowing down the answer depends on the predetermined response appointed by God for those who ask. If the request fits the moment predetermined for its answer, God hastens to respond; and if the time of request is delayed, whether in this world or until the world to come, the answer is also delayed. What is delayed is the thing requested, not the answer, for God is at the human being’s service; hence, you should understand this.

 

By the second kind of request, “there are gifts that are given without request,” I mean an articulated request, for essentially there must be a request, whether through articulation, a spiritual state, or a predisposition. Likewise, undefined praising is never valid unless it is articulated; however, a spiritual state necessarily restricts praising when it refers to a specific meaning. The knowledge which urges you to praise God is the knowledge that limits your praise through a name of action or of transcendence. One is not aware of one’s predisposition but of one’s spiritual state because one knows the motive which is the state; for predisposition is a more hidden form of request. Only the knowledge that God predetermined their actions prevents such people from requesting God. They prepare their substrate to receive whatever comes from God, their souls and their aims being concealed from them. Among those persons are those who know that God’s knowledge of them in all their states equals the knowledge of their fixed entity before their existence. They know that the Real does not confer on the concrete entities but what the fixed entity confers, and they understand the source of God’s knowledge of them.

 

Among the people of God, this kind of people who do not request are higher and more receptive to revelation than others because they perceive the mystery of God’s predetermination. They are divided into two groups: those who know it in a general way and those who know it in a detailed manner. One who knows it in a detailed way is higher and more complete than one who knows it in a general way, for the former knows that which God knows about him, whether through God’s notification to him of the knowledge latent in his fixed entity or His revelation to him of his fixed entity, whose states are endless and ever-changing. Such a one is higher than the one who knows in a general way because his knowledge of himself is like God’s knowledge of him, for the source of knowledge is one. However, from the point of view of the servant, his knowledge of himself derives from God’s previous providence, which consists of God’s revelation to him of all the states of his entity. When God makes the created being aware of the fixed states of his entity, he knows them as concrete existents, and he cannot know them in the state of their absence from concrete existence, for they are essential relationships having no form. In this respect, we say that the two kinds of knowledge (God’s and the human being’s) are equal and originate in God’s previous providence. That is why God said: “We will try you until we know which of you does his best” (47:31). The phrase “until we know” bears a very clear meaning, contrary to what is imagined by those who have no mystical inclination. The best that one who holds God’s transcendence can do is to state that the cause of created knowledge is its connection to created beings. In the gift issue, this would be the most rational perspective, if one did not affirm knowledge as something added to God’s essence and attribute the connection to created beings and not to the Essence. Through this direction, the rationalist is distinguished from the Verifier, the one among the people of God who receives revelation and possesses the capability to find the truth.

 

Let us now return to the subject of divine gifts, which we say derive either from God’s Essence or His Names. As for the gifts and donations which come from the Essence, they always originate in divine revelation. Revelation originating in the Essence is always only through the predisposition of the recipient of the revelation, not through any other means. Thus, the recipient of revelation sees only his own form in the mirror of the Real; he does not see the Real, and it is impossible to see the Real, although he knows that he sees his form only in the Real. This is comparable to a mirror in concrete existence; if you see a form in it, you will not see the mirror itself, even though you know that you see forms or your form only in it. God manifests this as a simile of the revelation of His essence so that the recipient will know that he does not see God. There is no simile closer and more similar to vision and revelation than this. When you see a form in the mirror, try as you may to discern the substance of the mirror; you can never see it. This is so true that some people, who perceived such a phenomenon concerning the forms seen in mirrors, have thought that the observed form is placed between the beholder and the mirror. This is the best theory that can be known, though the matter is as we have articulated. We have explained it in our most detailed work. If you have tasted this matter, you have tasted the utmost degree of knowledge beyond which no higher degree can be reached by the created being. Hence, do not strive and weary yourself by trying to ascend to a higher degree than this, for He is not there at all, and beyond this degree, there is only pure non-existence. God is your mirror, through which you see yourself, and you are His mirror, through which He sees His Names and the manifestation of their rules, and these Names are nothing other than Himself.

 

The matter has become confused and obscure: Some of us are ignoramuses and say, “The inability to perceive is perception.” Some others among us know but say nothing at all, and this is the best reaction: knowledge causes them to be silent, not incapable. The one who is silent is the best knower of God. This knowledge belongs only to the Seal of Messengers and the Seal of God’s Friends (or Saints). None of the prophets and messengers can perceive this knowledge, except through the light-niche of the Seal of Messengers. Likewise, none of God’s Friends can perceive it, except through the light-niche of the Seal of God’s Friends, so that the messengers do not perceive that which we have mentioned, except through the light-niche of God’s Friends. This is because messengerhood and prophecy — I mean the prophecy of legislation and its messengerhood — come to an end, while sainthood never ends. Because the messengers are God’s Friends, they do not perceive that which we have mentioned, except through the light-niche of the Seal of God’s Friends; even more so concerning those who are inferior to God’s Friends. Even if the Seal of God’s Friends follows the Law promulgated by the Seal of Messengers, this does not diminish his status nor contradict what we have said, for from one perspective he is inferior while from another he is superior. Accounts found in our plain religious sources regarding the superiority of judgment concerning certain situations support our view.

 

The perfect one is not necessarily superior in every respect and rank. People consider superiority in terms of the degree one can know God and strive to achieve this end. They must not think only about contingent beings. Understand what we have said!

 

The Prophet likened prophethood to a complete brick wall, except for one brick, and he was the missing brick. He saw only one missing brick, while the Seal of God’s Friends, who necessarily experienced this vision of the Prophet’s analogy, saw two missing bricks: one made of gold and the other of silver. He saw that when these two bricks are in place, the wall is complete, and when they are missing, the wall is incomplete. He necessarily regarded himself as the two missing bricks needed to complete the wall.

 

The reason that led him to see two bricks is his outward adherence to the Law of the Seal of Messengers, which corresponds to the silver brick. This aspect refers to the rules that he follows. Likewise, he learns from God inwardly that which he follows outwardly, for he necessarily contemplates things as they truly are. Regarding the inward aspect, this corresponds to the golden brick. He and the angel, who reveals messages to the Messenger, acquire their knowledge from the same source.

 

If you comprehend what I have pointed to, you will attain beneficial knowledge of everything. This is because every prophet from the beginning to the last prophet has acquired his knowledge from the Source of the Seal of Prophets. Even if the corporeal existence of a prophet comes late, his reality always exists, as confirmed by the saying of the Prophet: “I was a prophet when the first man was between the water and the clay.” Others became prophets only when they were sent. Likewise, the Seal of God’s Friends became God’s Friend while the first man was between water and clay, and others became God’s Friends only when they fulfilled the conditions of God’s Friendship; that is, the divine qualities they adopted, because God called Himself the Praised Friend.

 

As regards his sainthood, the Seal of Messengers relates to the Seal of God’s Friends as the prophets and messengers relate to the Seal of God’s Friends, for he is God’s friend, messenger, and prophet.

 

As for the Seal of God’s Friends, he is the friend, the heir who learns from the divine source and witnesses all the ranks of being or of God’s Friends. The sainthood is one of the merits of the Seal of Messengers, the first in the community and the lord of the first man’s offspring regarding the opening of the gate of intercession. Only the last prophet among the prophets was assigned this state of intercession. In this unique state, he precedes the Divine Names, for the Merciful does not intercede with the Avenger of the people of trial until intercession is made with them. He attained supremacy in this unique rank. He who understands the spiritual degrees and stations will not find it difficult to accept this idea.

 

As for the gifts deriving from God’s names, know that God’s bestowal of these gifts on His creatures shows His mercy toward them; all these gifts derive from His names. This mercy is divided into two kinds: either it is pure mercy, such as good and pleasant sustenance in this world, which is also pure in the Resurrection. The name the Merciful bestows this sustenance, and it is a merciful gift. Or it is a mixed mercy, such as drinking repugnant medicine which, however, relieves. This is a divine bestowal that cannot be made except through one of the guardians of the names. Sometimes God bestows on the servant a gift through His name the Merciful, and the gift is devoid of a mixture that does not fit the servant’s nature at a certain time, that does not aid the attainment of his aim, or something similar. Sometimes God bestows a gift through His name the All-Encompassing, so that His bestowal is general, or through His name the Wise to serve the best interests of the people at a certain time. Or He may bestow through His name the Bestower in such a way that the recipient is not obliged to respond either by expressing gratitude or taking action. Or He may bestow through His name the Almighty as it relates to a certain place and its requirements. Or He may bestow through His name the Forgiver observing the true state of the sinner. If the sinner deserves punishment, He will forgive him; and if he does not deserve punishment, He will protect him from sin. Hence, he will be called “immune,” “protected from sins,” and other names of a similar kind.

 

The giver is God because He is the guardian of His treasuries. He brings forth gifts only in a known measure and only in a name unique to each gift. “He gives everything its appropriate measure of creation” (20:50) according to the name Just and other names like it. God’s names are infinite because they are known through the infinite things which derive from them, even if their sources are finite principles; that is, the foundations of the names or the presences of the names.

 Truly, there is only one Reality which receives all these relationships and attributions that are called the Divine Names. The Reality grants to every name, which appears endlessly, an essence by which a name is distinguished from all others. This peculiar essence constitutes the name itself, not the characteristics the name shares with others. Likewise, gifts differ from each other through their distinctive characteristics; even though they derive from the same source, it is known that each differs from all others. The reason for this is the distinction of the names, for a thing never repeats itself because of the expansion of the divine domain. This is the truth upon which one relies.

This is the knowledge of Seth. Seth’s spirit supplies any spirit that talks about this idea with this knowledge, except for the Seal’s spirit, because the Seal receives this knowledge only from God, not from a spirit. Moreover, it is from the Seal’s spirit that this knowledge passes to all the spirits. If the Seal does not comprehend this procedure through himself at the moment of the composition of his material body, he knows all this as it is through his essence and rank. From the perspective of his material composition, he is ignorant. Thus, he is both knower and ignorant at the same time.

He is described through contraries, just as the Source (God) is described as Beautiful and Majestic, Manifest and Hidden, the First and the Last. This joining of contraries signifies his essence and not another trait. He knows and does not know; he comprehends and does not comprehend; he witnesses and does not witness.

Because of this knowledge, Seth was named “God’s gift,” which is the meaning of Seth. In his hand is the key to gifts of different kinds and attributes. First, this key was given to Adam, and that which Seth received is from Adam, for the son is the secret of his father; he emerges from the father and returns to him. To him who has understanding from God, nothing is strange in this giving. Every gift in this world follows the same course of giving. Every gift derives from God, and there is nothing that does not come from Him, even if the forms of gifts are various. Not all persons know this and that this is the truth; only a very few among the people of God know this. If you see one who understands it, rely on him, for this person is the very purest individual among the elite among the people of God. Every gnostic who contemplates a form which gives him knowledge he did not possess before must know that this knowledge originates in himself and in no other entity. It is from the tree of his own self that he garners the fruit of his knowledge.

 It is like a manifest form which faces a polished surface (and is seen in it), not another form seen in it. However, the substrate or the plane in which he sees his form may change due to the shape of this plane; a large object may appear small in a small mirror, and a short object may appear long in a long mirror, and a resting object may appear to be moving in a moving mirror. A unique plane may cause the reverse form to be seen or may reflect the exact thing which it faces, in such a way that the right side appears as the right side from the point of view of the seer. However, in general, the right side appears in the mirror as the left side. But in exceptional cases, the right side appears as a right side. All this applies to the traits of the essence of the plane wherein things appear; this is the plane which we compare to a mirror.

 Whoever knows his predisposition knows what he receives. Not everyone who knows what he receives knows his predisposition, except after he receives, even though he may know it in a general way. However, some speculative thinkers who are weak-minded hold that since it has been proven that God does what He wants, it is possible for Him to do things contrary to wisdom and to the real state of things. Consequently, some speculative thinkers come to deny possibility and to affirm necessity through the Essence or through another entity. One who verifies affirms possibility and its attendance; he knows what the possible thing is, what turns it into a possible thing, and that it is necessary by virtue of another. He also knows why it is legitimate to designate that which requires the necessity of another thing. Only those who know God are aware of the distinction between these terms.

 The last-born individual of the human species will follow the footsteps of Seth and bear Seth’s mysteries. There will be no other offspring of this species, and he will be its seal. His sister will be born with him, and he will emerge after her, his head lying at her feet. He will be born in China and speak Chinese. Infertility will spread among men and women, and there will be many marriages without procreation. He will call them to God, but they will not respond. When God makes him and the believers of his time die, those who remain will live like animals, neither permitting the lawful nor prohibiting the unlawful. They will behave as dictated by nature and passion, without any regard for intellect or religion. Because of them, the Last Hour will take place.

Key Themes.

1. Role of Seth:

   • Successor and Inheritor: Seth is seen as the spiritual successor to Adam. He inherits not only Adam’s physical lineage but, more importantly, his spiritual knowledge and wisdom.
   • Divine Bestowal: God granted Seth special knowledge and wisdom as a continuation of the divine knowledge bestowed upon Adam.

2. Wisdom of Expiration (Fana):

   • Concept of Expiration: The term “expiration” or “fana” in Sufi terminology refers to the annihilation of the self, where the individual ego dissolves in the Divine Presence.
   • Integration of Spirit: Seth’s wisdom lies in his ability to integrate the spiritual realities he inherited into his existence, representing a state where human qualities are extinguished in the divine essence.

3. Transmission of Esoteric Knowledge:

   • Preservation of Wisdom: Seth is seen as the preserver of esoteric and divine wisdom, ensuring its transmission to future generations.
   • Lineage of Prophethood: The spiritual knowledge Seth carries contributes to the lineage of prophethood, maintaining the thread of divine wisdom through human history.

4. Balance of Inner and Outer Worlds:

   • Manifestation of Divine Attributes: Seth’s life and teachings represent the balance between the inner spiritual world and the outer material world.
   • Harmony of Existence: Ibn Arabi emphasizes that the realization of Seth’s wisdom leads to the harmony of existence, aligning one's self with divine order and spiritual reality.

5. Mystical Union:

   • Union with the Divine: Seth’s ultimate spiritual achievement is his union with the Divine, illustrating the principle of fana where the individual’s essence merges with the Divine Reality.
   • Path to God: Seth’s wisdom provides a framework for understanding the path towards mystical union, advocating for the dissolution of the ego and complete realization of divine presence.

6. Symbolism of Light and Guidance:

   • Guiding Light: Seth is often associated with the symbolic representation of light that guides humanity. His wisdom is seen as a beacon that illuminates the path to divine truth.
   • Inner Illumination: This guidance is not just external but also internal, as Seth’s wisdom emphasizes the inner journey towards enlightenment and spiritual fulfillment.

Key Points:

Chapter 2 Summary:

The essence of Seth teaches about the nature of gifts from God. These gifts can be classified into two types: those from God's essence and those from His names. Mystics recognize this distinction.

Gifts can be given in response to specific requests ("Please give me this") or general requests ("Give me what is best for me"). Some gifts are also given without any request at all.

People who ask for gifts can be categorized into two groups: those who seek out of natural impatience and those who understand that some of God's gifts can only be obtained through asking. The latter group recognizes that there are things they might need that can only be given if they specifically request them.

Those who are spiritually aware, despite not knowing their personal inclinations, often gain insights into the gifts they receive at the moment they accept them. Their understanding of these gifts can lead them to recognize either their own predispositions or what they are capable of receiving.

Key Concepts:

1. Divine Gifts: Seth emphasizes that all gifts and blessings originate from the divine realm, either directly from God's Essence or through His countless Names and attributes. This understanding encourages gratitude and acknowledgment of God's boundless generosity in every aspect of our lives.

2. The Power of Requests: Seeking God through sincere requests, whether articulated or through spiritual yearning, opens the door to receiving divine gifts. While God's knowledge and providence encompass all possibilities, our sincere requests can be a catalyst for aligning ourselves with the best possible outcomes.

3. Predestination and Free Will: Seth acknowledges the existence of divine predetermination, yet also affirms our free will and responsibility in shaping our destinies. This perspective encourages us to live actively and ethically, recognizing that our actions and intentions influence the course of our lives.

4. Mirror of the Divine: The concept of God as the mirror through which we see ourselves encourages introspection and self-awareness. By contemplating the divine attributes reflected in our souls, we gain a deeper understanding of our own potentials and the purpose of our existence.

5. The Seal of Prophecy and Sainthood: Seth's teachings hold a special place for the Seal of Messengers, Prophet Muhammad, and the Seal of Saints. Their roles in God's plan are unique, exemplifying the culmination of prophethood and the ongoing presence of divine guidance through sainthood.

Chapter 3.

The bezel of the wisdom of transcendence exists in the essence of Noah.

May God inspire you through His spirit, as according to the people of truth, transcendence concerning the Divine amounts to limitation and restriction. Whoever believes in God's transcendence is either foolish or ill-mannered. If he, as a believer in religion, holds this doctrine unreservedly and believes in it without taking anything else into consideration, he misbehaves, denies the truth, and the messengers, without being aware of the consequences. He imagines that he is right, but he is wrong. He is like one who believes in parts of religion and disbelieves in others, especially if he knows that divine expressions in the Scriptures that speak of the Real convey easily understood meanings to the common people, but to the elite, they convey all meanings comprehensible according to the aspects of a certain phrase in the ordinary usage of a given language.

 

The Real is manifest in every created and comprehended thing, yet He is hidden from all comprehension, except for that of the one who holds that the cosmos is His form and essence. The cosmos is His manifest name, just as He, in another sense, is the spirit of that which is manifest, and this spirit signifies His being hidden. The Real's relationship to the manifest forms of the cosmos is akin to that of the spirit that governs a form.

 

Regarding the definition of the human being and any other being, we can speak of both manifest and hidden aspects. The Real can be defined by every definition, for the forms of the cosmos are infinite and cannot be fully encompassed. The definitions of every form of the cosmos can only be known through the measure of knowledge one possesses of that form. Consequently, the definition of the Real is not known, for His definition cannot be attained except through the knowledge of every form, which is impossible. Therefore, the definition of the Real is inconceivable.

 

Likewise, whoever holds the Real's immanence without holding His transcendence limits and restricts Him and does not truly know Him. Whoever combines in his knowledge transcendence and immanence in a general way, as it is inconceivable to know the cosmos in detail, knows the cosmos generally but not in detail, just as he knows himself in general but not in detail. For this reason, the Prophet connected knowledge of the Real with knowledge of the self, saying: "Whoever knows himself knows his Lord." And God said: "We shall show them Our signs on the horizons," meaning the external world, "and in themselves," meaning the internal world, "until it becomes evident to them," meaning to the observer, "that He is the Real," in that you are His form, and He is your spirit. You relate to Him as your bodily form relates to you, and He relates to you as the spirit that governs the form of your body.

 

Your definition includes both external and internal aspects; for if the spirit that governs the form of your body disappears, you are no longer called a human being. Regarding this form, it is said that it takes on the form of a human being, which does not differ from the form of wood or stone. The name "human being" applies to this form only figuratively, not in reality. However, the Real never disconnects Himself from the forms of the cosmos. Just as a human being, when alive, is defined by the spirit in reality and not in a figurative way, so the cosmos is defined by the Divinity.

 

Just as the external form of the human being praises, with its unique language, its spirit and soul that govern it, so God makes the forms of the cosmos praise Him. Yet, we are unable to comprehend their praise, because we cannot encompass all the forms of the cosmos. All the praises come from the languages of the Real, which express His praise. For this reason, God says: "Praise belongs to God, the Lord of existents," meaning that He is the source of all praises; hence He is both the one who praises and the one praised. If you hold to transcendence, you restrict Him; if you hold to immanence, you limit Him.

 

If you embrace both doctrines, you are right, and you will be a leader and master in knowledge. Whoever perceives His being as two things is a polytheist, and whoever believes that He is one unifies Him. Beware of likening Him if you accept duality, and of making Him transcendent if you unify Him. You are not He, but you are He, and you see Him in the essences of things that are both boundless and restricted. God said: "There is nothing like Him," thus establishing His transcendence; and "He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing," thus likening Himself to creation.

 

However, when He says, "there is nothing like His likeness," He likens Himself to creation and makes Himself two; and when He says "the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing," He makes Himself transcendent and united. If Noah had combined the two calls to his people, they would have answered him. However, he first called them to the external doctrine of transcendence, then to the internal doctrine of immanence, and then said to them: "Ask forgiveness of your Lord, for He is always Forgiving." He expressed: "I have called my people night and day, but the more I call them, the further they run away." He stated that his people did not want to hear his call, for they knew that they should respond to it.

 

Those who know God apprehend Noah's insights regarding his people; this was praise in the form of blame. They understand that the people did not respond to his call only because he separated the transcendent and the immanent aspects of Reality, whereas one should combine the two aspects and not separate them. Whoever holds a combination of both aspects does not pay attention to the separation even if he is in a state of separation, because the combination comprises the separation and not vice versa.

For this reason, only Muhammad and this community, distinguished as the "best community singled out for people," have been emphasized in the Quran. The verse "There is nothing like Him" combines the two aspects in one place. If Noah had pronounced this verse, they would have answered him, as the Quran likens God to creation and does not liken Him in the same verse, nor even in half a verse. Noah called his people at night, symbolizing their intellect and spirituality, as they are hidden. He also called them by day, symbolizing their external forms and senses. However, he did not combine the external and internal aspects as he did in "there is nothing like Him." As a result, their innermost perception repelled Noah’s call because of this separation between the two aspects, and his call only increased their distance.

Then he spoke about himself, revealing that he called them so God would forgive them, not to impress upon them the two aspects. They understood what he conveyed. For this reason, they "thrust their fingers into their ears and covered their heads with their garments." All this reflects the form of covering to which he called them, and they responded to his call in an active manner, not by yielding to God. In the verse "There is nothing like Him," there is affirmation and negation of likeness to God. Muhammad spoke about this point of having been given the knowledge of all-comprehensive words. Muhammad did not call his people night and day separately but rather at night and by day, and by day at night.

In his wisdom, Noah said to his people: "He will send down abundant rain from the sky for you," indicating various kinds of intellectual knowledge regarding the meanings of things and reflection, "and He will give you wealth," through which He will incline you toward Him. When He inclines you toward Him, you will see your form in Him. However, he among you who imagines that he sees Him does not know, and he among you who knows that he sees himself is the knower. For this reason, people are divided into those who do not know and those who know. And "his offspring" is the fruit of their reflection.

This knowledge is rooted in revelation and is far removed from the fruits of reflection. Their wealth and children will lead to their ruin, and their trade reaps no profit. What they grasp, that is, what they imagined was their property, has vanished. Concerning the Muhammadans, it is said: "Give out of what He has made pass down to you," and concerning Noah and his people, it is said: "Entrust yourselves to no one but Me." The property is theirs, and God is their trustee. They are appointees of the property possessed by God, and God is their trustee. The property is in their grasp, but this is merely property of appointment. Through this, the Real is the Owner of the Property as stated: "And they have deceived a mighty deception," because the call to God means a deception to the people to whom this call is directed.

God has never been absent from the beginning; therefore, He is always called to. "I call the people to God," and this is the essence of deception. "When I called them, it was out of clear awareness." Noah redirected their attention to the idea that the whole cosmos belongs to Him. They responded by deceiving him, just as he did.

The Muhammadan knows that the call to God is not a call to His essence, but rather to His names. God said: "On the day that We shall gather the god-fearing to the Merciful as a group." The particle indicating direction connects it to God’s name the Merciful, hence it indicates that the cosmos is under the providence of a divine name that obliges humans to be god-fearing.

In their deceit, they said: "Do not abandon your gods, do not abandon Wadd, Suwa', Yaghuth, Ya'uq, and Nasr." If they renounced their gods, they would not understand the Real in proportion to their renouncement, for the Real is reflected in every worshipped deity, whether one knows this or not.

Regarding the Muhammans, it is said: "God decreed that you should worship none but Him," meaning He ordered it. The knower is aware of the object of worship and the form through which it was made manifest for the purpose of being worshipped. He also knows that the separation and multiplicity of the parts of this object are akin to parts in the sensible and spiritual forms. Thus, in every object of worship, it is God who is worshipped.

The inferior person is he who imagines the existence of divinity in these objects. If he had not imagined this, he would not have worshipped stone or other things. For this reason, God said to Muhammad: "Say to the idolaters 'name them,' the idols." If they had named them, they would have identified them as stones, trees, or stars. If they had been asked: "Whom did you worship?" they would have replied: "A god." They would not have said God or the god.

The superior person does not engage in imagination but rather asserts that this is a divine manifestation worthy of exaltation, without confining himself to the worship of a specific object. The inferior person, in his imagination, declares: "We only worship them because they bring us nearer to God." The superior person, the knower, states: "Your God is one, so submit yourselves only to Him" wherever He is manifest, and delivers good news to the humble, whose fire of nature has been extinguished, referring to Him as a god and not as nature.

They have led many astray, meaning they have confused them regarding the counting of the One through aspects and attributions. Do not exacerbate the waywardness of those who do evil to their souls. The elect "who inherited the Scripture" are the foremost among the groups, prioritized over both the moderate and the foremost. Among those mentioned above, he refers to the perplexity of the Muhammadan who proclaims: "Increase my perplexity regarding You!" "Whenever the lightning flashes on them, they walk on, and when darkness falls around them, they stand still."

The perplexed person circles the pole and continues his circular motion around it without interruption, while the one who takes the longer path inclines away from the circle, distancing himself from the target, seeking only to exist in that state and imagining his aim. He envisions the points of beginning and end of his journey and what lies in between. There is no definitive starting point for the human being who navigates the circular course; he should not exit at a specific place or direct himself to a final destination. He possesses complete existence and is granted all the all-encompassing words and wisdoms.

Due to their steps of deviation, which led them astray, they drowned in the oceans of knowledge of God, meaning their perplexity. They were made to enter a Fire, which, according to the Muhammadan, is analogous to drowning. "When the seas boil over." When you ignite an oven, you say: "The oven was set on fire." "Except for God, they found none to help them," for God was their only source of help, and they were annihilated in Him forever. If He had taken them (from the depths of the sea of knowledge) to the shore of nature (the world of phenomena), He would have brought them down from this lofty rank, even though the whole cosmos belongs to God (li-Allāh), exists through God (bi-Allāh), and moreover, the whole is God (al-kull huwa Allāh).

"And Noah said: 'My Lord'." He did not say "My God," for "Lord" has the attribute of stability, while "God" has the attribute of many names, because "Every day He does something (different)." By "Lord," Noah refers to the stability within variation (thubūt al-talwīn), for the only true existence belongs to Him. Noah implored God: "Do not leave one of the unbelievers on earth," meaning he called upon God to make them dwell at the bottom.

The Murādān states: "If you drop a rope, it will fall upon God," which means "Everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to Him." When you are submerged in it, you are within it, and it is your place. ("From the earth We created you; into it We shall return you, and from it We shall raise you a second time,") due to the variety of aspects involved in returning and raising. "(Do not leave) one of those who conceal (kāfirīn) (on earth)," who "covered their heads with their garments and thrust their fingers into their ears" to find cover, because he called them to cover (ghafara), as covering (ghafr) means concealment (satr).

His reference to "one" implies that just as the calling is general, so is the benefit. "If you leave them," meaning if you call them and then abandon them, "they will lead Your servants astray," meaning they will confound them and lead them away from servitude to the mysteries of Lordship existing within them. As a result, they will perceive themselves as lords after initially viewing themselves as servants; thus, they are both servants and lords simultaneously. "They will not beget," meaning they will not produce or manifest except "only one who breaks," indicating one who manifests what was previously concealed, and "one who conceals," meaning concealing that which has been manifest after its revelation.

They will expose what was concealed and then hide what was manifested following its manifestation. Consequently, the observer will be bewildered and will not understand the aim of the one who reveals in their manifestation, nor the intention of the one who conceals in their concealment, nor that person carrying out both actions, who is one and the same. "My Lord, forgive me," meaning conceal me and do this for my sake, so that no one will perceive my true worth (qadr) and station, just as one does not know Your value in Your Qur’anic declaration: "They did not assess God’s true value" (Qur’ān 6:91).

(And conceal) "My parents," referring to the intellect and the nature that produced me; "and whoever enters my house," meaning my heart, "believing," indicating that the divine messages within it are true and that they arise from their own essence (souls). (And conceal) "the male believers" from the intellect "and the female believers" from the souls. "And do not increase those who are obscure ('ālimīn)," from the root word meaning "darkness" (ẓulumāt). They are the people of the hidden world, concealed behind dark veils.

(Do not increase them) "But destruction (tabār)," meaning annihilation (in God), so they will not be aware of their souls because they will behold the face of the Real. (The following verse was directed toward the Muḥammadans): "Everything perishes except for His face" (Qur’ān 28:88). Tabār means annihilation. Whoever wishes to comprehend the mysteries of Noah must ascend to the sphere of Noah (the sun). God speaks the Truth.

Key Themes.

1. Noah’s Role as a Prophet:

   • Divine Messenger: Noah is presented as a paramount example of steadfastness and dedication in the face of adversity while fulfilling his prophetic mission.
   • Struggle and Patience: His long years of struggle and his patience in calling his people to divine truth are highlighted as significant aspects of his wisdom.

2. Wisdom of Transcendence (Tanazzuh):

   • Transcendence of God: Ibn Arabi emphasizes that Noah embodies the wisdom of transcendence, reflecting God's ultimate transcendence and beyond His creation. Noah’s journey and trials symbolize the human struggle to perceive and connect with this transcendent aspect of the divine.
   • Purification and Renewal: The flood in Noah’s story is seen as a divine act of purification, both physically and spiritually, renewing the earth and its inhabitants. It represents the cleansing of impurities, making way for spiritual renewal.

3. Symbolism of the Ark:

   • Ark as Spiritual Sanctuary: The ark symbolizes a refuge for the faithful and the preservation of divine wisdom. It also represents an inner sanctum where divine truths are protected and preserved amidst worldly chaos.
   • Journey of the Soul: Boarding the ark symbolizes the soul’s journey toward divine realization and protection from spiritual delusion and corruption.

4. Human Limitations and Divine Grace:

   • Human Limitations: Noah’s experiences reflect human limitations in fully comprehending divine will and the transcendence of God. Despite his persistent efforts, many did not heed his call, underscoring the limitations of human agency.
   • Divine Grace and Judgment: The flood illustrates both divine grace towards the faithful and divine judgment against those who reject the truth. It signifies the balance between mercy and justice in divine actions.

5. Faith and Obedience:

   • Testing of Faith: Noah’s unwavering faith and obedience to God’s commands, even when faced with disbelief and mockery, exemplify the essence of faith.
   • Submission to Divine Will: His story teaches the importance of submission to divine will and maintaining faith despite external circumstances.

6. Transcendence in Personal Spiritual Journey:

   • Inner Spiritual Journey: Ibn Arabi reflects on how Noah’s wisdom of transcendence can be applied to individual spiritual journeys. The process of purification, seeking refuge in divine wisdom, and the struggle to maintain faith are key elements.
   • Reflection on Transcendence: Encourages believers to recognize the transcendence of God in their lives and to seek spiritual renewal and purification.

Summary:

God is evident in all creation, yet remains beyond full comprehension, understood only by those who recognize that the universe reflects Him. The cosmos embodies His essence, and He is the spirit within it. Our understanding of ourselves and others includes both manifest and hidden qualities. While all forms are infinite, fully defining God is impossible, as it requires exhaustive knowledge of everything. Those who focus only on God's immanence or His transcendence miss the complete understanding of Him. The Prophet emphasized knowing both the divine and the self. He connected awareness of God with self-awareness and noted that signs of the divine exist both externally and internally. Understanding the human being involves recognizing both the physical form and the vital spirit; without the spirit, the physical form loses its identity. God is ever-present in all things, and just as a living human is defined by their spirit, so is creation defined by God's presence. Creation praises God in ways beyond our understanding, as He is the source of all praise. Embracing both God's immanence and transcendence leads to a more profound understanding of His nature. Acknowledging duality brings confusion; true unity in understanding sees God as He is, not likened to anything else. Noah's teachings demonstrate that separating the two aspects of God can lead people astray. If he had blended transcendence and immanence, his people might have responded positively. Instead, by emphasizing one over the other, he caused their distance from the truth. The Quran highlights the unity of God in ways that resonate with understanding; Noah's approach fell short. He aimed to guide his people toward recognizing the divine's dual nature, but they resisted his call. Ultimately, true knowledge reveals that what we worship reflects the divine, regardless of our perceptions. People often misidentify objects of worship, missing the truth that God's essence is within all. Those who truly know God recognize His manifestation in various forms, understanding that singular worship should focus on God alone. Many have been led astray by confusion and misunderstanding, becoming lost in their own interpretations of the divine. In Noah's model, true understanding transcends the surface level, blending knowledge and insight, leading to clarity about both creation and the Creator. His prayers for forgiveness and guidance illustrate this pursuit of deep spiritual wisdom. God's essence is beyond conventional attributes, emphasizing a reality that transcends earthly understanding and aligns with a higher purpose. In conclusion, comprehending Noah's teachings requires embracing the multifaceted nature of God and recognizing that each form of worship reflects a deeper truth of singular divine existence.

Chapter 4.

The bezel of the wisdom of holiness exists in the essence of Enoch.

The term "elevation" has two meanings: elevation with respect to physical place and elevation with respect to status. The elevation of place is attested in the Quran: “We raised him to a high place.” The highest place is the place around which the spheres revolve. This is the Sphere of the Sun, the place of the spirituality of Enoch. Seven spheres are situated below the Sphere of Enoch, and seven others above it, making his sphere the fifteenth. The spheres above him are those of Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the Mansions, the Constellations, the Footstool, and the Throne. The spheres below him are those of Venus, Mercury, the Moon, Ether, Air, Water, and Earth. Because the Sphere of the Sun is the pivot of all the spheres, it is an elevated place.

As for the elevated status, it belongs to us, the Muhammadans. God said: “You are the elevated, and God is with you.” In this elevation, He is far above physical place but not above status. When the souls of those of us who acted were afraid of God’s proximity to the human being, He said (following “God is with you”): “God will not decrease the reward for your actions.” This is because an action requires place, while knowledge requires status. Hence, God conjoins the two elevations: the elevation of place through action and the elevation of status through knowledge. Then, in order to place Himself far above the human being, He said: “Praise the name of your Lord, the Most High,” to negate any idea of partnership. Among the most wonderful things is that the human being, I mean the perfect human being, is the most elevated existent. Elevation is attached to him only through his relationship to a place or to a grade, that is, status. His elevation does not derive from his essence. He is elevated because of the elevation of place and grade. Elevation derives from both place and grade. For example, the elevation of place is attested in the Quran: “The Merciful sat Himself upon the Throne,” which is the highest place.

Concerning the elevation of status, God said: “Everything perishes except for His face” and “All things return to Him” and “Is there a god with God?” When God said: “We raised him to an elevated place,” He made an adjective of a place. And when He said: “When your Lord said to the angels, ‘I am appointing a vicegerent on earth,’” He meant the elevation of status. He said regarding the angels: “Are you (the Devil) proud or are you among the elevated?” Thus, He ascribed elevation to the angels. If elevation were ascribed to them because of their being angels, then all angels would be elevated. Since God does not generalize, although all the angels share the definition of angels, we know that, according to God, this is an elevation of status. Likewise, if the elevation of the vicegerents among people were an essential attribute, every human being would share this attribute. However, since He does not generalize, we know that this elevation derives from status.

The Elevated is one of His Most Beautiful Names. However, elevated above whom, when only He exists? Thus, He is the Elevated by virtue of His Essence. From where did He take this elevation, when only He exists? Thus, again, His elevation is by virtue of His Essence. With respect to existence, He is the Essence of the existents. What we call contingent beings are elevated by virtue of themselves, because they are actually His manifestation, for He is not elevated in a relative but in an essential way. That is because the fixed entities, which never exist in a concrete form or even smell the odor of existence, remain in their state of absence despite the multiplicity of the existent forms. There exists One Essence from which all the concrete things can be gathered and which permeates them all. The existence of the multiplicity of things derives from God’s names, which are solely nonexistent relationships and not concrete entities. There is only the Essence, which is the Essence of God. He is the Elevated by virtue of His Essence, not by virtue of any relationship. From this point of view, there is no relative elevation in this world; however, the aspects of existence have different grades. Relative elevation exists in the Unique Essence when it is considered manifesting many aspects. For this reason, we say regarding Him that He is not He, and you are not you.

Al-Kharraz, who is one of the Real’s aspects and one of His tongues, refers to God’s Self, saying that God can be known only through His combination of opposites, which determine His nature. He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden. He is the Essence of the manifest things and the Essence of the hidden things when they are manifest. Only He sees Himself, and nothing is hidden from Him. He is both Manifest and Hidden by virtue of His Essence. He, Abu Said al-Kharraz, and other created beings are referred to in this manner of the combination of the manifest and the hidden.

The hidden says “no” when the manifest says “I am the manifest,” and when the hidden says “I am the hidden,” the manifest says “no.” This situation refers to each opposite which negates the other, while the speaker and the listener are one and the same. The Prophet says: “What they told themselves,” meaning they are the tellers, the listeners, and those who know what was told. The essence is one, while the aspects are many. There is no way to escape this knowledge, for every person knows this of himself, and this is the form of the Real.

Without counting, things are not in order. Hence, numbers appear through adding “one” to each number in a known arrangement. The “one” brings the number into existence, and the “one” divides the number. The number appears only through that which is countable. The countable can be either absent or existent: a thing may be absent with respect to the senses but existent with respect to the intellect. In sum, there must be a number and that which is countable, just as there must be “one,” which creates the number and through which the number is increased. Each grade of number is a single reality, such as nine or ten, down to the lowest number and up to the highest infinitely. These numbers are not a sum of particulars, but rather they are called a collection of ones. This is because the number two and the number three are unique realities, and so on, even if the numbers that follow are combined from ones. However, the essences of each number differ from each other. The combination of ones characterizes all numbers; the combination speaks of them and through them determines their place. In this speech of the combination, there are twenty grades which are combined from ones. You can continue to affirm the reality of the number which you negate because of its essence.

Whoever knows what we have established regarding the numbers, namely, that their negation is their very affirmation, knows that the transcendent Real is the same as the immanent created thing, even though the created differs from the Creator. The statements that the Creator is like the created and the created is like the Creator refer to One Essence. All this derives from One Essence. Furthermore, it is simultaneously One Essence and many essences. “When the boy was old enough to work with his father, Ibrahim said: ‘My son, I have seen myself sacrificing you in a dream. What do you think?’ He said: ‘Father, do as you are commanded . . .’ And the son is identical to his father. Thus, he (Ibrahim) saw that he would sacrifice only himself. He ransomed him “with a mighty sacrifice,” so that what had appeared in a human form appeared as a ram. Furthermore, he who was the essence of a father appeared in the form of a boy, nay, as a real boy. He created from Adam his mate, so Adam married only himself. Hence, from Adam came forth his mate and child; however, although they are three in number, they are one in essence.

What is nature and what emerges from it? We observe that nature does not diminish because of that which comes forth from it, nor increase because of that which does not come forth. Nature is only that which appears from it; however, nature does not constitute the essence of the manifest things, for many forms characterize it. For example, there exists a thing which is cold and dry and another hot and dry. Their common denominator is dryness, but they are different regarding temperature. What joins them is nature; nay, it is the natural essence. Thus, the world of nature can be seen as many forms in one mirror, nay, a single form in many mirrors. This can bring about perplexity because of the differences in perspective. However, whoever knows what we have said does not become perplexed. If his knowledge increases, it is only through the aspect of the substrate, because the substrate is the basis of the fixed entity. In the substrates, God’s manifestations and all their aspects are diversified, and the substrate can receive every aspect. One can judge God’s manifestation only through the substrate in which He is manifested. And this is the only explanation of the structure of the world.

The Real, from one aspect, is creation, so think about it, but from another aspect, He is not, so take it into consideration. Whoever knows what I have said, his insight will not leave him, and only whoever perceives knows this. The essence, whether combination or separation, is one, yet either way it is multiplicity, not remaining or leaving.

The Elevated by virtue of Himself is He who possesses perfection through which He encompasses all the existents and nonexistent relationships in such a way that no trait of them escapes Him, whether these traits are praiseworthy or blameworthy from the point of view of custom, intellect, or religion. This applies only to the name God. As for other names of the Divine, they are either God’s manifestations or a form in a manifestation. If they are manifestations, there necessarily exists a priority among them, and if it is a form in a manifestation, then this form is the essential perfection because it is the essence of what is manifest in a certain entity. That which pertains to the name God pertains to this form. We do not say that the names are He, nor are they other than He.

In his book *Khal,* Abu al-Qasim ibn Qasi points to this principle, saying that every divine name is designated by all the divine names and depicted by them. That is because every name indicates both the Essence and the unique aspect toward which it is directed, and this name seeks this aspect. From the point of view of its indication of the Essence, it possesses all the names, while from the point of view of its indication of its unique aspect, it is distinguished from others. For example, the Lord, the Creator, and the Former. Thus, from the perspective of the Essence, the name and the named are identical, while from the perspective of the meaning to which the name is directed, they are different.

If you understand that the Elevated is that which we have mentioned, you know that His elevation is neither of place nor of position. That is because the elevation of position pertains only to leaders such as sultans, governors, ministers, judges, and every holder of office, whether they are qualified for this office or not. Elevation by virtue of attributes is not like this, for the one who holds the office of a governor may have dominion over the most knowledgeable person, even if the former is the most ignorant person. The governor is elevated in position because of his office, and not because of his own attributes. If the governor is dismissed from his office, his high standing will disappear, while the knowledgeable person does not lose his high standing.

Summary.

• Extraordinary Ascension: Enoch is uniquely noted for his ascension to high spiritual ranks. God elevated him to a sublime status, which symbolizes the potential spiritual ascent of human beings.
• Spiritual Exemplar: Idris represents an ideal of profound knowledge and spiritual devotion. His life embodies the pursuit of divine wisdom and higher understanding.

Concept of Taqdis: Sanctification involves a process of purification and spiritual refinement, aiming to cleanse oneself from worldly distractions and impurities.

• Purity and Knowledge: The sanctification that Idris exemplifies is intertwined with the pursuit of purity and divine knowledge. It is through sanctification that one can approach God more closely.

Ascetic Practices: Idris is characterized by his ascetic lifestyle, denouncing earthly pleasures to focus solely on spiritual growth and divine worship.

• Devotional Life: His continual devotion and remembrance of God highlight how asceticism facilitates a deeper and more focused spiritual connection.

Path of the Soul: Ibn Arabi discusses the inner journey of the soul towards sanctification, which requires withdrawing from material concerns to attain spiritual enlightenment.

• Elevation through Contemplation: Deep contemplation and meditation are presented as crucial for spiritual elevation and achieving a close relationship with the divine.

Seeker of Wisdom: Idris is portrayed as a fervent seeker of divine mysteries and truths. His willingness to sacrifice worldly comforts for spiritual knowledge sets a precedent for those on a similar path.

• Revelation of Mysteries: The sanctity of Idris allows him to access divine mysteries, suggesting that spiritual purity is a precondition for gaining profound insights into the nature of existence.

Physical and Spiritual Ascension: Idris’s ascension is both a literal and symbolic representation of reaching higher spiritual states. It signifies the ultimate reward for those dedicated to sanctification.

• Union with the Divine: This ascension illustrates the culmination of the sanctification process, where the individual attains a state of union with God.

Divine Order: Sanctification aligns human actions and intentions with the divine will, promoting harmony within oneself and with the wider creation.

• Role in Divine Scheme: Idris’s sanctification emphasizes that each individual has a role in maintaining this divine harmony through their spiritual practices.

Model of Sanctification: Idris serves as a model for the wisdom of sanctification, epitomizing the importance of purity, devotion, and the continuous pursuit of divine knowledge.

• Path to Enlightenment: The chapter underscores the need for spiritual dedication and ascetic practices as essential pathways to achieving higher states of enlightenment and closeness to God.

Key Takeaways:

• Enoch’s Role and Ascension: Highlights Idris’s extraordinary spiritual status and ascension.
• Wisdom of Sanctification: Focuses on the purification and spiritual refinement necessary to attain divine proximity.
• Ascetic Devotion: Emphasizes a life of asceticism and devotion to achieve spiritual clarity.
• Inner Journey: Discusses the importance of the soul’s inner journey towards enlightenment.
• Pursuit of Divine Knowledge: Celebrates Idris’s relentless pursuit of divine truths and mysteries.
• Spiritual Elevation: Symbolizes the ultimate union with the divine through the process of sanctification.
• Harmony with Creation: Highlights the alignment of oneself with divine order and the broader creation through sanctification.

Chapter 5.

The bezel of the wisdom of excessive love exists in the essence of Abraham. 

The bezel of the wisdom of excessive love exists in the essence of Abraham. Abraham is called al-Khalil because he pervades and encompasses all the attributes through which the Divine Essence is described. A poet said: "You (God) permeated me just as the spirit permeated my body; because of this permeation, he (Abraham) was named al-Khalil." It is just as the color permeates the colored; in such a way, the accident pervades the substrate. It is not the relationship between a place and that which is placed on it. Or Abraham was so called because the Real permeates his form. Every aspect of permeation is valid, for every aspect has its place through which it is manifest and beyond which it is not manifest. Do you not understand that the Real is manifest through the attributes of the created things, including attributes of deficiency and blame, and He informs us about Himself? Do you not understand that the created being is manifest through the Real’s attributes from first to last, all of which are appropriate to it, just as the attributes of the created things are appropriate to the Real? The words "Praise belongs to God" mean that the effects of praise, whether they relate to the praiser or the one praised, go back to God. "And all things return to Him" means that He embraces in Himself the blameworthy and the praiseworthy and that there is no other alternative—only the blamed and the praised. Know that a thing permeates another only when it is immersed in the latter. That which permeates another is called the active participle and it is veiled by that which is permeated, the passive participle. The passive participle is manifest, and the active participle is hidden and concealed. The latter is nourishment for the former, like water permeating a piece of wool and thus making it grow and expand. If the Real is the manifest, then the created (human being) is hidden in Him, and as a result, the created embraces all the names of the Real, His hearing, seeing, all His relationships and perceptions. If the created is the manifest, the Real is concealed and hidden in him; the Real, then, is the hearing of the created, his seeing, hand, foot, and all his faculties, as referred to in the correct tradition. Moreover, if these relationships were removed from the Essence, it would not be Divinity. Our entities bring into being these relationships; because God exists in us, we make Him God. Consequently, He is not known until we know Him (as God). He (Muhammad) said: "Whoever knows himself knows his Lord." And he (Muhammad) best knows God. Some scholars, including Abū Hāmid, claimed that God can be known without observing the cosmos, which is a fault. Indeed, an eternal essence can be known; however, that this entity is God can be known only after gaining knowledge of the objects dependent on this entity. These objects are the indication of this entity. Then, after that, in a second state, revelation grants you the knowledge that the Real Himself is the very indication of Himself and His Divinity, that the cosmos is nothing but His self-disclosure in the forms of the fixed entities whose existence is impossible without Him, and that He is manifest through various forms according to the realities of these entities and their states. This is known after we know that He is our God. Then comes the final revelation through which our forms are disclosed in Him; some of us are disclosed to each other in the Real, and some of us know each other and are different from each other. Some of us know that God knows us through us, and some others do not know that in this Presence there is knowledge produced by us. "I seek refuge in God, lest I be one of the ignorant." Only through these two revelations does God determine our states through us, nay, rather we determine our states through us, yet in Him. For this reason, God said: "God has the conclusive argument." God means the conclusive argument against the veiled, for they said to the Real: "Why have You done things to us which did not coincide with our aims?" He made their affair difficult for them. The gnostics disclosed this matter and knew that the Real has not done to them what they claimed He did, and that this grave thing derived from them, for He only taught them their own states, hence their argument was refuted and God’s conclusive argument remained valid. If you ask what can we learn from His saying: "If He had willed, He would have guided all of you," we shall say: "In the phrase ‘if He had willed’ the word ‘if’ indicates an impossibility because of another impossibility, for God only wills the thing as it really is. According to reason, the possible thing in definition can receive a trait or its opposite; however, what determines which trait of the two reasonable possible traits will exist depends on what was already established in the fixed entity. The meaning of ‘He would have guided you’ is ‘He would have explained to you’ your hidden state. God does not open the insight of every possible individual to perceive things as they really are. Among people, there are knowers and ignoramuses. God does not will, and He will not will, hence He cannot guide them all. Likewise, if we say ‘if He wills,’ we can ask does He will that which cannot be? His will has a single connection, which constitutes a relationship to knowledge, which in turn is connected to a known object, and the known object is you and your states. Knowledge has no effect on the object of knowledge, but rather the object of knowledge affects knowledge and gives to knowledge from itself its true state. The Divine Address comes only in accordance with the agreement of those addressed and with what rational observation conveys. It does not come in accordance with unveiling. For this reason, believers are many, and gnostics, the people of unveiling, are few. "There are none of us, but have a known place," meaning through the personality you have in your fixed entity you will appear in concrete existence, on the condition that your existence will be affirmed. If it is affirmed that existence belongs to the Real, not to you, then you are undoubtedly determined in the existence of the Real. If it is affirmed that you are existent, then you are undoubtedly determined as a real existent. If the Real determines your existence, He should only pour existence upon you, and as a result, you determine yourself. Hence, you should praise or blame only yourself. What remains for the Real is only the praise of pouring forth existence because this belongs to Him, not to you. You supply the Real with determinations, while He supplies you with existence. What is allocated to Him is allocated to you. Thus, all things derive from Him to you, and from you to Him. However, you are called obliged, and He obliges you only through your saying to Him "oblige me through your true state." Hence He is not obliged. He praises me, and I praise Him / He worships me and I worship Him. In my state of existence I affirm Him / but regarding the entities I deny Him. He knows me and I do not / and I know Him and witness Him. How can He be independent while / I help Him and make Him happy? For this reason, the Real created me / for I make Him known and thus bring Him into existence. A tradition tells us this / and in me His aim is realized. Since al-Khalil attained this grade, because of which he was called al-Khalil, he established hospitality as a rule, and Ibn Masarra put him with Mika'il as sponsors of the means of subsistence. By the means of subsistence, people are fed. When the means of subsistence permeate the one who is fed in such a way that every part of the fed person is permeated, food spreads in all the parts of the fed person. However, regarding God, there are no parts in Him; hence He necessarily permeates all the Divine Stations, which are called names, so that His Essence is manifest through them. We belong to Him as signs in us show this, but we also belong to ourselves. He has only my being to manifest Himself, for we belong to Him just as we belong to ourselves. I have two aspects, He and I, but He has no "I" through me. In me, He is manifest, and we are for Him as vessels. "God speaks the truth and guides to the right path"(Qurʾān 33:4).

Summary:

The Significance of Al-Khalil: Abraham embodies the essence of all Divine attributes, hence his title 'al-Khalil' (the Friend). The permeation of the Divine: Like the spirit permeating the body, the Divine permeates Abraham, making him a manifestation of the Divine Essence. Manifestation of the Real: The Real manifests through the attributes of the created, including deficiencies and praiseworthy qualities. The embrace of all things: The Real encompasses both blame and praise, demonstrating divine totality. The Relationship between the Real and the Created: Active and passive participles: The Real acts as the active participle, permeating and nourishing the created (passive participle). Hidden and manifest: The Real is hidden, while the created is manifest, with the Real concealed within the created. The manifestation of Divine attributes: The created manifests Divine attributes, including hearing, seeing, and all forms of perception. Knowing God through the Cosmos and Revelation: Knowledge of the cosmos leads to the knowledge of God: The cosmos provides evidence of an eternal essence, which then leads to the knowledge of God through revelation. The Real as the sign of Himself: Revelation confirms the Real's self-disclosure in the cosmos and establishes the Real as the ultimate sign of Himself. The manifestation of the Real within the created: The final revelation reveals the disclosure of the created within the Real and the knowledge of God through the created. The Divine Argument and the Determination of States: The conclusive argument against the veiled: God refutes the veiled who question His actions, revealing that their states are determined by their own inner realities. The impossibility of 'if He had willed': The phrase 'if He had willed' indicates the impossibility of God willing something against established realities. The relationship between knowledge and the object of knowledge: The Divine Address aligns with the agreement of those addressed and with rational observation, not with unveiling. The varying states of individuals: God does not will to guide all individuals, as they possess different levels of understanding and receptivity. The Mutual Determination of Existence and Praise: The Real determines existence: The Real pours forth existence upon the created, who then determine themselves and allocate praise or blame accordingly. The Real is praised for existence: The Real deserves praise for the gift of existence, while the created are responsible for their self-determined states. The Real and the created supply each other: The Real supplies existence, and the created supply determinations, resulting in a mutual and dynamic relationship. The Essence of Hospitality and the Attainment of Al-Khalil: Al-Khalil's rule of hospitality: Abraham, due to his status as al-Khalil, established hospitality as a rule, reflecting the permeation of the Divine throughout existence. The connection between hospitality and sustenance: Ibn Masarra linked Abraham with Mika'il, who is associated with the means of subsistence, highlighting the importance of sharing and generosity. The permeation of the Divine Stations: The Divine permeates all Divine Stations, which are like names, revealing the Essence through them. The manifestation of the Real through the created: The created, including ourselves, serve as signs of the Real, demonstrating the interwoven relationship between the Divine and the created. The Importance of Self-Knowledge and the Realization of the Divine Aim: Knowing oneself leads to knowing God: The Prophet Muhammad emphasized the importance of self-knowledge as a path to understanding God. The Real created for self-manifestation: The Real created the universe and its inhabitants for the purpose of self-manifestation and self-realization. The tradition of the Real: A tradition reinforces the idea that the Real created us to bring Him into existence and make Him known. The fulfillment of the Divine aim: The attainment of al-Khalil's state demonstrates the fulfillment of the Divine aim through self-knowledge and the recognition of the Real within oneself. Conclusion: The bezel of the wisdom of excessive love in the essence of Abraham encapsulates the profound relationship between the Divine and the created, emphasizing the importance of self-knowledge, divine manifestation, and the realization of the ultimate aim of existence.

Chapter 6. The Wisdom of Reality is Epitomized in the Essence of Isaac.

The ransom of a prophet is the slaughter of an animal for sacrifice. What is the cry of man in comparison to the voice of a ram? God the Mighty made the animal mighty, taking care of us or of it—I do not know by what standard. No doubt other sacrificial animals are highly valuable, but they are less valuable than the sacrifice of a ram. I wish I knew how a single small ram replaced the vicegerent of the Merciful. Do you not know that all things were arranged in fulfillment of profit and in decreasing loss? There is no creation higher than the inanimate, followed by the plant, in certain measures and patterns. After the plant come the possessors of senses, all of whom know their creator through unveiling or rational demonstration.

As for the one called Adam, he is restricted by intellect, thinking, and the necklace of faith (*Īmān*). Sahl, who was a verifier like us, said the same thing about Adam. We and they have reached the level of witnessing (*Iḥsān*). Whoever witnesses what I have witnessed will say what I have said, both secretly and openly. Do not pay attention to views contrary to our own or sow seeds in blind soil. They are the deaf and the dumb whom the infallible (*Muḥammad*) brought to our notice in the text of the Qur’ān.

Know, may God bestow on us and on you revelation, that Ibrāhīm al-Khalīl said to his son: “My son, I have seen myself sacrificing you in a dream” (Qur’ān 37:102). The dream is on the plane of imagination; thus, he did not interpret the dream. A ram in the form of Abraham’s son appeared in the dream, and Abraham believed that what he saw was true. His Lord ransomed Abraham’s son from the false imagination of his father by the great sacrifice, which means the interpretation of his dream in the eyes of God, while he (Abraham) was unaware.

The disclosure of a form on the plane of imagination requires another knowledge (*‘ilm*) through which one can perceive what God means by this form. Do you not consider what God’s Messenger said to Abū Bakr about his interpretation of a dream: “You were right in part, but also partly wrong?” Abū Bakr asked Muḥammad to tell him where he was right and where he was wrong, but the Prophet did not answer. God said to Abraham when He called him: “O Abraham, you believed that the dream is true” (ibid. 105). He did not say to him, “You believed that he is your son in the dream,” because Abraham did not interpret the dream but accepted the manifest form of what he saw. However, dreams require interpretation.

For this reason, the King of Egypt (*al-‘Azīz*: literally: the Powerful) said, addressing his courtiers: “If you can interpret the dream” (Qur’ān 12:43). The meaning of interpretation is to pass from the form one sees to something else. The cows were symbols of years of barrenness and plenty. If Abraham had been right in understanding his dream, he would have slaughtered his son. However, he truly saw his son (in the dream), whereas in God's eyes it was the Great Sacrifice in the form of his son. God ransomed him because of Abraham’s thought; in God’s eyes, it was not a real ransom (the ransom was the ram). His sense perception produced the sacrifice, while his imagination produced his son. If he had seen the ram in his imagination, he would have interpreted it as his son or something else.

Then God said: “Indeed, this is a clear test” (Qur’ān 37:106), that is, a clear and manifest trial of knowledge: would he know what the interpretation of the dream required or not? He knew that imagination required interpretation. However, he did not take into consideration what this realm of dreams implied. For this reason, he regarded the dream as true, just as did Taqī ibn Mukhallad, the imam and the author of a *Musnad*. He heard a tradition which he approved that the Prophet said: “Whoever sees me in sleep has seen me in waking, for the Devil cannot assimilate my form.”

In this dream, Taqī ibn Mukhallad saw the Prophet, who gave him milk to drink. Taqī ibn Mukhallad regarded the dream as true; he drank and then vomited the milk. Had he interpreted the dream, this milk would have represented knowledge. God deprived him of much knowledge according to the measure of his drinking. Do you not see that when the Messenger of God was given a cup of milk in a dream, he said: “I drank the milk until I was completely satiated (literally: until satiety came out of my fingernails), and then gave the remainder to ‘Umar?” The Prophet was asked: “What is your interpretation, O God’s Messenger?” He said: “Knowledge.” He did not leave it as milk, that is, in the form of what he saw, because he knew it was a dream that required interpretation.

It is well known that the form of the Prophet, which was seen by the sense of sight, is buried in al-Madīna, and that the form of his spirit and his rational soul (*lāṭifa*) has not been seen by anyone through the form of anyone else or through the form of oneself. Each spirit must be regarded as such. The spirit of the Prophet appears to one in a dream in the form of his body when he died, without the body being damaged at all. It is Muḥammad who is seen through his spirit in a bodily form that resembles his buried form. The Devil cannot assume the form of Muḥammad’s body, for God protects the one who sees him. For this reason, whoever sees Muḥammad in this form will learn from him all that he orders or prohibits, or tells him, just as he could learn from the Prophet in this world the laws in keeping with the sayings which point to these laws, namely, laws written in texts, through plain or general meanings or through whatever form. If he (the Prophet) gives him something, this thing may be interpreted.

However, if knowledge through the senses equals knowledge through the imagination, this dream does not need interpretation. Based on this criterion, Abraham and Taqī ibn Mukhallad dealt with their dreams. Since the dream has two aspects, and since God has taught us what He did regarding Abraham and what He said to him—because this is the manner befitting the grade of prophecy—we know the following: In our vision of the Real in a form which the rational argument rejects, we should interpret this form in a way appropriate to religion, that is, in terms of who the seer is, or the place where the Real was seen, or both. If the rational argument does not reject the form we saw, we shall leave this form as it was seen, in the same form as we shall see the Real in the world to come. The One, the Merciful, has in every domain hidden and manifest forms.

If you say this is the Real, you are right, and if you say something else, you are interpreting. His status is not determined in one domain to exclude another, but He unveils Himself to creation through His Reality. When He discloses Himself to sight, the intellect refutes (His appearance) through a persistent proof. He is accepted in the domain of the intellect, in imagination, and in true sight. Abū Yazīd said concerning this station: If the Throne and that which it contains—multiplied a hundred million times—were to dwell in one of the corners of the gnostic’s heart, he would not feel them. This is the ability of Abū Yazīd in the world of bodies. Moreover, I say that if the infinite existence were assessed as finite with the Essence that brought it into existence and these found their abode in one of the corners of the gnostic’s heart, he would not perceive them in his knowledge. Hence, it is proved that the heart contains the Real, and notwithstanding, it is not shown as satiated. If it were filled, said Abū Yazīd, it would be satiated.

We note this station, saying: O He who creates things in Himself, You encompass what You create. You create the infinite being within You, even as You are the Limited and the Vast. If the creation of God were in my heart, its luminous dawn would not appear there. Whoever comprises the Real cannot be confined to comprise creation. What is your opinion, O Listener? Through the power of fancy, every human being creates in his faculty of imagination that which has existence only in this faculty. This is the general matter. The gnostic creates through spiritual aspiration (*himma*) that which has existence outside the substrate of his spiritual aspiration; however, this aspiration does not cease to preserve its object.

Its preservation, that is, the preservation of that which it created, does not weary this faculty. When the gnostic does not pay attention to the preservation of this created entity, it disappears, unless the gnostic masters all his domains and does not become heedless at all, because he witnesses at least one domain. When the gnostic, through his spiritual aspiration, creates, possessing this mastery, that which he created, this creation appears in his form in every domain; the forms become preserved by each other. As a result, when the gnostic does not pay attention to a certain domain, or to some domains, while witnessing one of the domains and preserving in it the form of his creation, all the forms are preserved through his preservation of this single form in the domain to which he pays heed.

That is because heedlessness is never absolute, neither regarding all the domains nor regarding a single domain. Here I have revealed a mystery which the people of God have always jealously concealed, because this mystery refutes their claim that they are the Real. However, the Real is always attentive, while the servant does not escape inattentiveness to something. From the point of view of preserving what he created, the gnostic may say: “I am the Real” (*anā al-Ḥaqq*). However, his preservation of his creation is not like God’s, and we have already clarified the difference. The servant is different from the Real, given his heedlessness of a form and its domain.

He must be distinct from the Real, notwithstanding his continuing preservation of all the forms through the preservation of one form in the domain to which he pays heed. This is preservation through a guarantee, while God’s preservation of what He created is not like this, for it is a preservation of each form specifically. As I have been told, no one has ever written on this question in a book, neither I nor others, except in this book; hence, it (the question) is extraordinary and unique. Consequently, beware of being inattentive to this question, for the remaining domain within which you still dwell with the form is like the Book in which God said: “We have left nothing out unwritten in the Book” (Qur’ān 6:38), for the Book comprises past and future events.

Only he who has the faculty of combination (*qur’ān*) (all the presences) in his soul knows what we have said, for whoever fears God, “God will give him the faculty of separation” (*furqān*) between the Real and the creation. This is similar to what we have pointed out regarding this question of the device through which the servant is distinct from the Lord. This faculty of separation is the loftiest faculty of separation. At one time, the servant is a lord without a doubt, and at another, he is really a servant without a lie. If he is a servant, he encompasses the Real, and if he is a lord, he is in a poor state.

Through his being a servant, he beholds the essence of his self, and without a doubt, hopes overflow from him. Through his being a lord, he beholds the whole of creation, making demands on him through the domain of Ownership and Kingdom. Because of his essence, he cannot answer their demands. For this reason, you see some gnostics weeping. So be a servant of a lord and not a lord of his servant, lest you fall, melting into the Fire.

Chapter 7

The bezel of the wisdom of loftiness exists in the essence of Ishmael.

Know that the entity called God is one with respect to essence and all with respect to names. Each existent has from God only a single lord, and it is inconceivable for it to have all the lords. As for God’s Unity (Ahadiyya), no single entity enters it, for one cannot call part of it a thing and another a thing, for it does not admit division. However, His Unity is the totality of His attributes in potentiality. The happy person is the one whose Lord is pleased with him, and there is none but that which is pleasing in the eyes of his Lord, because Lordship applies to everyone; hence, the Lord finds everyone pleasing, and so everyone is happy. For this reason, Sahl said: "Lordship has a mystery – and it is you," ergo Sahl’s saying refers to every entity – if it had disappeared, the Lordship would also have been canceled. The words "if it had disappeared" signify the impossibility of the impossibility (imtina’ al-imtina’), for the condition will not appear and hence the Lordship will not be annulled, because an entity exists only through its lord. Since an entity is always existent, its Lordship will never be canceled. Every pleasing thing is beloved, and all that the beloved person does is beloved. All is pleasing, for any entity does not act at all, but God alone acts in it. Any entity is safe from the ascription of an act to it; hence it is pleased with that which appears in it and from it, that is, God’s acts. These acts are pleasing, for every doer or maker is pleased with his acts, and if He carries out his acts perfectly, it will be appropriate to say of Him: "He gave everything its [measure of] creation then guided [it]" (Qur’an 20:50), meaning God clarified that He gave everything that which fits it without decrease or increase. Since Ishmael discovered what we have mentioned, he was pleasing to God. In like manner, every existent is pleasing to his lord. If every existent is pleasing to his lord, as we have explained, it is not necessary that it be pleasing to a lord of another servant, for he took the lordship only from one lord, not from many. What was established for him from all the lords is only that which fits him, and this [what is suited to him] is his lord. No one takes from God [something] which relates to His Unity (Ahadiyya). For this reason, the People of God were prevented from the manifestation of God’s Unity. That is because if you look at Him through Him, it is He who looks at Himself, and He always looks at Himself through Himself. And if you look at Him through yourself, His Unity disappears through yourself. And if you look at Him through Himself and through yourself, Unity also disappears. For the pronoun in naẓartahu (you look) is not the essence of that which you look at (‘ayn al-manẓur), hence there is necessarily a relationship which requires two entities, the one who looks (nāẓir) and the one who is looked at (manẓur). Consequently, Unity disappears, even if (God) sees Himself through Himself. It is well known that in this description He is both the observer and the observed. The pleasing person will be absolutely pleasing only when all things through which he is manifest originate in the action of the one who is pleased with him. Ishmael excels others, for the Real qualified him as pleasing to Him. In like manner, it is said to every tranquil soul, "Return to your Lord" (Qur’an 89:28). God ordered the soul to return only to its Lord who called it and it knows Him from other lords as "pleased and pleasing" (ibid.). And God said to the soul, "Enter among My servants" (ibid., 29), because they possess this station. Every servant among those mentioned here knows his lord, confining himself to this knowledge without looking at the lord of another, notwithstanding the Unity of the Essence. This is necessarily so. "And enter into My Garden" (jannat) (ibid., 30) which is My place of concealment. My place of concealment is only You, and You conceal me through Your Essence. I am known only through You, just as You are not manifest only through me. Whoever knows You knows me, and I am not known through another, just as You are not known through another, but through me. When you enter into His place of concealment, you enter into yourself, then you know yourself with another knowledge which is different from the knowledge of yourself when you know your Lord through your knowledge of yourself. As a result, you possess two kinds of knowledge: knowledge of Him through yourself, and knowledge of Him through yourself, with respect to Him, not to you. You are the servant and you are the lord of the one you are his servant. You are the lord and you are the servant of the one who possesses your covenant in His address to you. Every contract to which one is committed can be dissolved by someone else. God is pleased with His servants and they are pleasing. They are pleased with Him and He is pleasing. The two presences (servanthood and lordship) face each other like similar things, because there is no distinction between the two kinds. However, similar things are opposites, for the two similar things do not join. There is only the one that is distinct and the one that is similar. Actually, there is neither a similar thing in existence, nor an opposite thing, for existence is one reality (ḥaqīqa wāḥida), and a thing does not oppose itself. Only the Real remains, no other being; there is no connected thing, and there is no separated thing. The seeing of the eyes proves this and I do not see when I see but His Essence. "This is for one who fears his Lord" (Qur’an 98:8), lest he will be Him, because he knows the distinction between the servant and the lord. What proves this to us is the fact that some people are ignorant of things (a‘yān) in existence which the knower shows them. There is a distinction between servants and there is a distinction between lords. If there had been no distinction, a certain divine name would have been interpreted according to all its aspects in the same manner as another name is interpreted. The name the Strengthener (al-mu‘izz) is not interpreted in the same manner as the Debaser (al-mudhill), and so on. However, from the point of view of Unity, they are the same. As you say, every name is (al-musammā) is one and the Strengthener is the Debaser with respect to the named. However, the Strengthener is not the Debaser with respect to their own entities and realities, for our understanding of each of them is different. Do not contemplate only the Real so that you divest Him of creation. Do not contemplate only creation so that you clothe it in all things except the Real. Make Him incomparable and comparable and place yourself in the domain of truth. If you will, be in a state of joining or in a state of separation. Then, if all is revealed to you, you will gain the greatest success. You will not pass away in creation nor remain in the Real, and you will not make others either pass away or remain. Revelation is not bestowed on you and you do not grant revelation to others. Praise for the people is carried out by God through faithfulness to the promise (ṣidq al-wa‘d) and not through faithfulness to the threat. The Divine Presence requires commendable praise through God’s Essence. The Essence is praised through faithfulness to the promise and not through faithfulness to the threat, moreover, through overlooking one’s sins. "Do not think that God will break His promise to His Messengers" (Qur’an 14:47). He does not say "His threat," but rather "We shall overlook their sins" (Qur’an 46:16), although He made a threat regarding sins. He praised Ishmael because he was faithful to his promise (ṣādiq al-wa‘d). Regarding the Real [in his praising of Ishmael], possibility disappears, because possibility requires a preponderant (murajjiḥ). Only the one who is faithful to his promise remains, while the Real’s threat has no established essence. Even if they enter the abode of suffering, they have delight therein and pure happiness. There is happiness in the eternal gardens, for the matter is one; only when God is revealed, there is a difference. Suffering (‘adhāb) is so called because of its sweetness (‘udhūba); this is like a shell, and the shell protects what is inside.

Chapter 8.

The bezel of the wisdom of spirituality exists in the essence of Jacob.

Religion is divided into two kinds: a. Religion according to God and according to whom the Real taught and those who taught others what the Real taught them; and b. Religion according to the created beings, which God acknowledges. God's religion is the one which God chose and granted it the highest degree above the human religion. God said: "Abraham ordered his sons (to submit to God), and so did Jacob, saying: 'My sons, God has chosen for you the religion, so do not die except in a state of submission to God," meaning obeying Him. Religion is marked with the definite particle to designate a specific religion, hence this is a known religion (which is shown) in God’s saying: "The religion according to God is Islam," meaning submission. Religion expresses your submission. That which comes from God is the Law to which you submit. Religion means submission and the rule is the Law which God promulgated. Whoever is qualified as yielding to God’s laws is the one who carries out the orders of the religion and maintains them, as one who performs the prayer. The servant is one who maintains religion and the Real promulgates the laws. Hence, submission is the essence of your act, and religion comes out of your act. You will not be happy except by way of that which comes from yourself. Just as your acts affirm your happiness, so His acts, which are you and the created beings, affirm the Divine Names. Because of His effects (in the cosmos), He is called God, and because of your effects (in yourself), you are called happy. When you observe (the commandments of) religion and obey His laws, He makes you equal to His rank. If God wills, I shall expound further on this issue in a beneficial way after explaining religion in the eyes of the created beings which God acknowledges. Religion as a whole belongs to God and comes (with respect to implementation) from you, not from Him, except with respect to its origin. God said: "They invented monasticism". (Their invention) refers to the wise laws; however, these were not brought to the people by the known Messenger through God in the customary way (that is, through prophecy). But as wisdom and plain interest in (these laws) coincide with Divine Judgment regarding the aim of Divine Law, God approved of (these human laws) just as He did of His Laws, (although) "We (God) did not prescribe (these laws) for them". Since God opened the door of His Providence and Mercy between Him and their hearts of which they were unaware, He established in their hearts the exaltation of the laws they had promulgated – through which they sought God’s satisfaction. They did so not in the usual and known prophetic way of divine teaching. Hence God said: "They did not keep their laws", meaning those who established the laws which I (God) affirmed, "in a proper way, only to seek God’s satisfaction". So they thought. "We gave those who believed," in these laws, "among them their reward, (however) many of them", meaning of those for whom this worship was established, "are sinners", meaning they did not submit to these laws and did not keep them. Whoever does not obey these laws, his legislator will not comply with what pleases him. However, the matter necessitates obedience, meaning the one under obligation is either obedient through acceptance of the laws, or a transgressor. There is no need to talk about the one who obeys and accepts the laws, because this is obvious. As for the transgressor, his transgression which was determined for him by God requests either one of two things: disregard and forgiveness or rebuke for what he did. One of these options should apply, because essentially the matter requires one of the two. Anyhow, it is correct (to say that) the Real submits to the servant’s acts and state. It is the state which affects (God’s reaction). From this (it is evident) that religion means requital, meaning compensation for that which makes one happy or unhappy. As for that which makes one happy, God said: "God is pleased with them, and they with Him". This is a compensation that makes one happy. As for that which makes one unhappy, God said: "Whoever among you who does wrong, we shall make him taste a severe punishment". This is a compensation that does not make one happy. "We shall disregard their evil deeds" is (also) redress. Hence, it is correct (to say) that religion is compensation. That is because religion is Islam and Islam is essentially submission; God submits to what makes one happy or unhappy, which means compensation. This is the external aspect in this issue. As for its mystery and internal aspect, it manifests itself in the mirror of the Real’s existence; the possible things receive from the Real only that which their essences give them in each state. For each state has a form. Their forms differ according to the differences in their states. Hence, the manifestation differs because of the difference in the state, and the effect on the servant occurs in accordance with what characterizes him. No one bestows on him good or evil except himself; only he bestows on his essence favors and sufferings. He should chastise and praise only himself. "To God belongs the conclusive argument" in his knowledge of them, for knowledge follows the object of knowledge. In an issue like this, the mystery that lies behind it is (the notion) that the possible things in principle are nonexistent. There is no existence but the existence of the Real (which is disclosed) through the forms of the states in which the possible things appear in themselves and in their (fixed) essences. Consequently, you know whoever experiences pleasure and whoever experiences pain and what follows each state, because of which it is called following and consequence. (This idea of following) is allowable in relation to both good and evil; however, convention calls the good – reward, and the evil – punishment. Because of this procedure religion may be called or explained as what returns, for that which his state requires and seeks returns to him. Hence, religion is that which returns. The poet said: "As your religion with Umm al-uweyrith before", meaning your custom. The rational meaning of return is the return of the thing itself to its (previous) state. However, this is not the case here, for return means repetition. But return is an intelligible reality, and resemblance in forms exists. That is, because we know that Zayd is the same as Amr with respect to humanity, but humanity does not repeat itself, for if it does, it will be multiplied; however, humanity is one reality that does not repeat itself. (Also) we know that Zayd is not the same as Amr in terms of individual identity, for Zayd as an individual is not the same as Amr, though we certainly know that the existence of individuality is shared by both. Through sense perception resemblance repeats itself; however, through true judgment resemblance does not repeat itself. From one point of view there is a repetition and from another there is not. In like manner, in one respect there is a reward, and in another there is not; that is because reward is a possible state. The scholars probing this issue did not pay attention to it; that is, they paid no attention to its explanation, not that they did not know it, because it belongs to the mystery of predetermination which governs the created beings. Know that just as it is said of a physician that he is the servant of nature, so the Messengers and the Heirs are the servants of the Divine Command in general, and actually they are the servants of the states of the possible things. Their service is part of their states which have been established by their fixed entities. Consider what a marvelous thing this is! However, the servant, of whom we are talking here, is restricted regarding saying and state by his lord’s rules. It is correct to say that the physician is a servant of nature, only if he helps nature. That is because nature put in the body of the ill person a unique temperament because of which he is called an ill person. If the physician were to help nature through his service, he would also increase the measure of illness. He prevents nature (from worsening the illness) only in order to seek health – and health also belongs to nature – through introducing another temperament that opposes the present temperament. Hence, the physician is not a servant of nature (regarding all aspects); he only serves it through curing the ill person and changing his temperament by using nature itself. Regarding nature, he exerts efforts by using a particular, not a general aspect, because generality is not correct in such an issue. Hence, the physician is servant/not servant of nature, just as messengers and heirs are regarding the servitude of the Real. In determining the states of those who are under obligation, the Real acts through two aspects: The servant acts in accordance with the requirements of the Real’s will, and His will in turn is connected to what the Real’s knowledge requires, and the Real’s knowledge is connected to what the object of knowledge bestows on Him, that is, its essence, which appears only in its form. The Messenger and the Heir are servants of the divine command by way of the will; however, they are not servants of the will. He (the Messenger) refutes the divine command by way of the divine command seeking for the happiness of the person under obligation. If he were the servant of the divine will, he would not advise (people), or would advise (people) only through the divine will. The Messenger, the Heir, is the physician of the souls for the world to come. He obeys God’s command when He commands him. He may observe His command and will and sees that God’s command opposes His will, (knowing) that all things occur according to His will, and for this reason the command stands. If He wills the fulfillment of the command, it will be fulfilled, and if He does not will the fulfillment of what He commands, the person under obligation will not carry out the command, and this is called transgression and sin. The messenger is a transmitter (of God’s commands and sayings). For this reason he (Muhammad) said: "Hud and its sisters made me anxious" (literally: made my hair white), because they (these suras) contain God’s saying: "So keep to the right course, as you have been commanded". The words "as you have been commanded" made him anxious, because he did not know whether the command fitted His will and hence would be implemented, or opposed His Will, and hence would not be implemented. No one knows the way of the will, until the object of the will occurs, except one to whom God has revealed his insight, and as a result he perceives the possible things as they really are in their states as fixed entities and thereupon he judges according to his insight. This may happen to a very few individuals in times of seclusion. (Consequently), the Prophet said: "I do not know what will be done with me or you". He (the Prophet) explicitly said of the veil (existing between God and the humans). The aim (of this verse) is to inform that the Prophet had knowledge only of some things, not all things.

Chapter 9.

The bezel of the wisdom of light exists in the essence of Joseph.

The light of this bright wisdom spreads over the presence of Imagination, which is the first principle of Divine Revelation among the people under God’s Providence. Aisha said, “The first revelation to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and give him peace, was a true dream. Each of his dreams was clear like the breaking dawn, with no obscurity therein.” Her knowledge stops here. This period continued for six months, then the angel came to him. She did not know that the Messenger of God said, “People are asleep, and when they die, they awaken.” Everything one sees while awake is like this, even if the states of sleep and wakefulness are different. She spoke of six months; however, his whole life in this world should be gauged in this manner, that is, as a dream within a dream. All things of this kind belong to the world of imagination, and for this reason, they are interpreted, meaning a thing that is essentially in a certain form appears in another form. Hence, the interpreter, if he is correct, passes from the form seen by the sleeper to the true (meaningful) form it assumes. This is like the appearance of knowledge in the form of milk. In his interpretation, the Prophet passed from the form of milk to the form of knowledge, explaining that the form of milk is attributed to the form of knowledge.

When the Prophet received revelation, he was detached from ordinary sensory perception and was covered by a veil, being unaware of his companions. After he was freed from the state of inspiration, he was restored to his previous state. His perception occurs only in the presence of imagination; however, he was not said to be asleep. In like manner, the angel appeared to him in the form of a man, and this appearance derived from the presence of imagination, for he was not a man but an angel who assumed the form of a human. The observer, the gnostic, interpreted this appearance until he reached the real form, saying, “This is Jibril, who came to you to teach you your religion.” Then he (the gnostic) said, “Bring this man back to me.” He called him a man due to the form in which he appeared to them. Then he said, “This is Jibril,” realizing the origin of this imagined man. He was right in both statements: the first based on his sense of sight and the second on the real knowledge that he was Jibril without a doubt.

Joseph said, “I saw (in my dream) eleven stars and the sun and the moon; I saw them prostrating before me.” He saw his brothers in the form of stars and his father and stepmother in the form of the sun and the moon. This vision was from Joseph’s viewpoint. However, if it had been seen from the viewpoint of those in it, then the appearance of his brothers in the form of stars and of his father and stepmother in the form of the sun and moon would have been very pleasing to them. Since his brothers did not know what Joseph had seen, the latter’s perception was preserved in his imagination. When Joseph told his dream, Jacob was aware of the danger and said, “Do not tell your dream to your brothers, lest they plot against you.” Then he pardoned his sons for this plot and ascribed it to the Devil, who is the essence of plotting, and said, “The Devil is a clear enemy of humans”; that is, his enmity is manifest. After that, Joseph finally said, “This is the interpretation of my earlier dream. God made it true,” meaning that God made it manifest to the senses after it had been in imaginative form. The Prophet Muhammad said, “People are asleep,” and Joseph’s statement “God made it true” is like the state of one who sees in his sleep that he wakes up from a dream and then interprets it. He does not know that he is still asleep, but when he wakes up, he says, “I saw this, and I saw myself apparently waking up and interpreting the dream.” This is Joseph’s experience. Think about the difference between Muhammad’s perception and Joseph’s when the latter said at last, “This is the interpretation of my earlier dream. God made it true.” This is sensory perception, which could not be otherwise. That is because imagination conveys only the objects of the senses, and no other objects. Consider how exalted the knowledge of Muhammad’s heirs is. I shall expand my discourse concerning this matter using Joseph’s words (uttered in the spirit of) Muhammad, so that you may know, if God wills.

Know that what is said about “other than the Real” or that which is called the cosmos relates to the Real as the shadow relates to a person. The cosmos is God’s shadow. This relationship is the same as Existence is to the cosmos, for the shadow undoubtedly exists in the senses. However, there must be a substrate in which the shadow appears. Even if you assume the absence of such a substrate, the shadow would still be intelligible but not existent in the senses, and the shadow would be potentially in the essence of the thing which casts the shadow. The substrate of the appearance of this divine shadow, called the cosmos, is the fixed entities of possible things over which the shadow spreads out. Thus, from the extension of this shadow, one can perceive the measure of the existence of this Essence. It is by virtue of His name Light that perception occurs, and this shadow spreads out over the fixed entities of the possible things in the form of an unknown mystery.

Do you not see that shadows incline to the color black, thus indicating their hiddenness because of the distance between them and the things that cast them? Even if an object is white, its shadow will be black. Do you not see the mountains that are distant from the observer appear to be black, but actually, they might be of another color? Is there a cause for this but distance? The same is true regarding the blueness of the sky. This is what the effect of distance produces in terms of vision with respect to non-luminous bodies. In like manner, the fixed entities of possible things are non-luminous because they are non-existent, even if they are described as fixed. However, they are not described as existent, for existence is light. Furthermore, distance causes luminous bodies to appear small; thus, this is another effect of distance. The sense of sight perceives them as small, but they are actually larger than what is seen. As we know by proof, the sun is much larger than the earth; however, by the sense of sight, it appears no larger than a shield. This is also the effect of distance. One knows the cosmos only by the measure of what one knows of shadows. Similarly, the Real is not known just as the object that causes the appearance of the shadow is not known. He is known from the perspective of His shadow, but not from the viewpoint of the essence of the producer of the shadow.

For this reason, we say that the Real is known from one aspect and not known from another. “Do you not see how your Lord lengthens the shadow? If He had willed, He would have made it rest,” meaning the shadow exists in Him potentially. We say that the Real cannot reveal Himself to the possible things until He makes the shadow appear, and the shadow, before its appearance, is like the possible things that do not yet have concrete existence. Then, “We made the sun a sign for Him” (this sign) is the name of the Real, that is, the Light mentioned above, and the sense of sight witnesses it, for shadows exist in concrete form only when light exists. “Thereafter, We seize it to Ourselves, drawing it gently.” He seizes it (the shadow) to Himself only because it is His shadow; from Him it appears and to Him all things return, for the shadow is He, and no other. All we perceive is the existence of the Real in the concrete possible things. Regarding the essence of the Real, we can only speak of His existence, whereas, regarding the variety of forms in Him, He is the concrete possible things. Just as the name shadow does not disappear from Him because of the variety of forms, so the name the cosmos does not disappear because of the variety of forms or any other name except for the Real. With respect to His Unity (a Unity) as a shadow, He is the Real, because He is Unique, the One, and with respect to the multiplicity of forms, He is the cosmos. Hence, understand and ascertain what I have elucidated for you.

If the matter is as I have pointed out to you, then the cosmos is an illusion, having no real existence. This is the meaning of imagination. You imagine that the cosmos is something separate, existing by virtue of itself and unconnected to the Real, but actually, this is not so. Do you not see it (the shadow) by your sense of sight as connected to the object from which it extends? It is inconceivable that the shadow should be separated from this connection, as it is inconceivable that a thing should be separated from its essence. As a result, you should know your essence: who you are, what your essence is, and what your relationship to the Real is. You should also know through which thing you are real and through which thing you are the cosmos, the other, and the unlike, and expressions like these. In this matter, scholars excel over one another; therefore, strive to better each other in knowledge and to know more!

The Real in relation to a specific shadow (whether it be small or big, pure or purest) is like light in relation to a glass that comes between the light and the beholder; the light takes on the color of the glass, while at the same time, it has no color. In this manner, you are made to see the Real through analogies of your reality that proceed from your Lord. If you say the light is green because of the greenness of the glass, you are right, as your sense of sight bears witness. And if you say the light is not green and has no color, based on logical proof, you are also right, as your conclusion is based on sound rational speculation. This is a light that extends from a shadow, which is a physical glass, and this is a luminous shadow because of its purity. Likewise, whoever among us who recognizes his reality through the Real, the form of the Real appears in him more intensely than it appears in others. The Real becomes the hearing, the sight, and all the faculties and organs of some among us through signs which religion conveys about the Real. Despite this, the essence of the shadow exists, for the pronoun “his” (in his hearing) refers back to the Real as a shadow, and other servants of God do not gain such a position. The relationship of such a servant to the existence of the Real is closer than the relationship of other servants to this existence.

If the matter is as we have established, know that you are imagination and all that you perceive; for example, your assertion about imagination that “I am not” (imagination) is imagination. All existence is imagination within imagination. The only true existence is God, especially as it pertains to His Essence and Reality, and not in regard to His names, since His names have two meanings. The first is His Essence, the Essence of the Named (God), and the second is that which the name indicates, that is, what distinguishes one name from another. There is a great difference between the Forgiving on one hand and the Manifest and the Hidden on the other, as is the case with the First and the Last. This becomes clear to you through the idea that each name is identical to another in essence and through the idea that each name differs from another. With regard to the Essence, each name is the Real, and concerning the otherness, it is the imagined Real which concerns us.

Glory be to Him who has no sign pointing to Him but Himself, and whose being is proved only through His Essence. Only that which God’s Unity points to exists in the cosmos, and only multiplicity points to that which exists in the imagination. Whoever adheres to multiplicity remains with the cosmos, the divine names, and the names of the cosmos. And whoever adheres to God’s Unity remains with the Real with respect to His Essence, which dispenses with all things. If God’s Essence dispenses with all things, this is the Essence’s dispensing with the names connected to it. Because just as the names point to the Essence, they also point to other named entities which are ascertained by their effects. “Say, this is God, He is one,” with respect to His Essence, “God who is sought by all,” with respect to our reliance on Him, “He did not beget” concerning His Ipseity and to us, “and He was not begotten” and “has no equal,” also with respect to His Ipseity and to us. This is His qualification, and He singled out His Essence saying, “God is one,” and the multiplicity appeared through His qualities which are known to us. We beget and are begotten and rely on Him, and we are equal to one another. This Unique Entity is free of these qualities and dispenses with them just as He dispenses with us. The Real has no lineage except for that which is said in this sura—the sura of purification from multiplicity; for this purpose, it was revealed. God’s Unity concerning the divine names which require us is the Unity of many, and God’s unity concerning His dispensing with us and the names is the Unity of the Essence. The name One applies to both kinds of unity. Know this!

The Real brought the shadows into existence and made them prostrate, casting themselves to the right and to the left, only to serve as signs for you, indicating your existence and His. That way, you can know yourself and your relationship to Him and His relationship to you. Likewise, God brought the shadows into existence to let you know from where or from what divine reality all that is other than the Real is described through absolute need for God and through the relative need for each other, and to let you know from where or from what reality the Real is described as one who dispenses with people and all things, whereas the things in the cosmos sometimes need others concerning their essence, and sometimes do not. The cosmos essentially needs causes. The greatest cause for them is the Real, whose causality is embodied in the divine names which all things need. The divine names refer to each name that the things are in need of, that is, things of the cosmos or the Essence of the Real, which is God, no other. For this reason, God said, “People, you are needful of God, and God does not need you; He is the Praised.” It is well known that we need each other. Hence, our names are His, for without doubt, we need Him. Actually, our essences are His shadow and nothing else. He is at the same time our ipseity and not our ipseity. We have paved the way for you; so contemplate!