BB00021: Tafsir al-Ha I (Tafsir-i-Alifayn: Commentary on the Letter Ha’)

To: Abu’l-Hasani’l-Husayni

Date: unknown (late Shiraz)

Part 1: “Praise be to God Who hath made…”

In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

Praise be to God Who hath made the embellishment of the Tablets of Creation to be the embellishment of the upright Alif between the two letters, which hath shone forth and radiated through that which was compassionate and articulate. Then God made it a sign unto Himself by Himself without the fire of His Essence touching it. Verily it was willed before it was determined, ordained after it was decreed, executed when it was ordained, then set forth and permitted and made firm. Then the horizons were filled therewith.

And praise be to God Who hath formed that letter with the two letters through the shining forth of that which shone from the light of the Sun of Eternity, which was determined after it was willed, and ordained after it was decreed, and brought near when it was set forth and reckoned. Then through it He revealed Himself unto all who dwell in the kingdom of Command and Creation, until he who was thunderstruck at the first Mount recovered and awakened.

Praise be to God Who hath joined through His Command between that letter through the existence of the point beneath the Ba, then through the creation of the Ba after the Alif, that He might distinguish between all according to their station in the Cause, and make happy those who are made happy through their faithfulness to the Covenant, and make wretched those who are made wretched through following their desires and going astray on the Day of the Covenant. For on that Day shall the leg be bared by the leg, and God shall judge between all according to what their hands have wrought, and thy Lord is not unjust to His servants. Verily He shall recompense all for what their hands have done on the Day of Meeting.

Praised be God—He from Whom there shone forth that which dawned, and from Whose radiance burst the light that cleft the firmaments from the Realm of the Cloud; that it might be enfolded, after the ranks were arrayed, in the thicket of the Godhead as the Bird of Destiny, in the grove of Might as the Cock of Praise, and in the gardens of the Kingdom and the Dominion as the Peacock of Glory—there to quiver with its melodies upon the branches of the Tree of Manifestation, and to sound its peals amid the hosts of the bees of Sinai. Every thing abideth in its station; and all shall hear the clamour of that which gleamed forth from the light of the morn of pre-eternity—whatsoever great or small upon which the name “thing” hath fallen. Praised be God!

And praised be God—He from Whom that which was uttered found its rising, Who showed compassion upon that which dawned, Who shed radiance upon that which was dispersed and drawn together, and Who assigned unto it a governance and a tenderness which became manifest and exalted after abasement, after kindling and submission; which grew mighty, glittered, trembled, separated and conjoined, aided and opposed, confronted and distinguished—according as it stood firm, proclaimed, revolved, illumined, became evident, willed, was thunder-struck, was established, surged, flashed, blazed, was recalled, gasped, proclaimed again, was made weak and revived—until it cried, like a bewildered fish cast upon the dust:

“There is no God but Thee! Glory be to Thee! Unto Thee have I turned in repentance, and I am the first of those who repent.”

And now—there hath descended unto the remembrancer the wondrous Remembrance from One of lofty lineage and exalted rank, of surpassing honor and inviolable might. Such was not its form in the Book; He is the Mighty. O my Lord! Bestow upon me the grace of lifting the veil from the countenance of the Cause, by whatsoever face Thou willest; for my plight hath grown severe, and by God, my purpose is naught but the unveiling of the state. Here stand I before God, saying: Peace be upon Thee, as long as the Sun of creation riseth by creation, and the sun of invention setteth by invention.

I have read that which thou didst send down from the clouds of the heaven of Thy Will, and I have discerned that to which Thou didst allude in the inward recesses of Thy verses—as though Thou didst intend, by the unveiling of the secret, to disclose the countenance of that which is concealed. Otherwise, that which is hidden in the lines lay before Thee like a parchment spread open. If the secret be a secret whose veil may be lifted from its face, then verily it standeth, between the lines, disclosed before Thy dawning like the light of manifestation. But if it be a secret enwrapped—benefited only by secrecy, profited only by concealment, and whose countenance the subtleties of allusion cannot unveil—how then can I point unto it? For the first station of its disclosure is the denial of all allusion to it.

Today I possess no unveiling of that secret, no command, no means, save what was taught to Kumayl in secret in the prayer of Khidr:

“Lord, forgive him who possesses naught save prayer, for Thou doest what Thou willest. O Thou Whose Name is healing, Whose remembrance is cure, and Whose obedience is wealth! Have mercy on him whose capital is hope and whose weapon is tears! O Bestower of blessings! O Repeller of adversities! O Light of those who are lonely in darkness! O Knower Who art not known! Bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and do with us what is worthy of Thee! Thou art worthy to be feared and worthy to forgive!”

And since every letter of Thy Book hath, in the path of knowledge, infinite outer and inner meanings, I indicate with a drop that which overflows from the ocean of the elixir through what God hath graciously bestowed upon me. Though I know that these recorded principles and known allusions are unveiled before thee, yet perchance God may reveal in the inner meanings of the allusions that which floweth from the pen of ink in such wise as to draw thee to the holy precincts of the heart. I seek God’s forgiveness for what the Book recordeth before the All-Merciful. Verily we are God’s, and unto our Lord do we return.

O my God! How can I praise Thy praise or speak before the presence of Thy grandeur? Thou hast ever been, without the description of aught, and wilt ever exist, without the attribute of aught. None shall ever know Thee as Thou art, and naught shall ever describe Thee as Thou deservest, for Thy very Essence cutteth off all substances from expression, and Thy very Being preventeth all realities from knowing Thee. If I say “Thou art Thou,” I have likened the similar to the similar, and Thou at once beliest me—nay, all created things—for how can that which was brought into being through creation describe That which cannot be described by the attributes of invention? And if I say “He is He,” I have indicated the Oneness of Thy Will and the Reality of Thy Purpose, which are cut off from Thee by Thy creation of them from nothing, and are prevented from knowing Thee by their need, at every moment, of something. Thus whenever I ascend toward Thee, I see no means for myself save descent into despair and prevention; and whenever I fall silent and seek forgiveness, I find naught but a sin greater than the first.

By Thy might and Thy majesty! I perceive no path, nor do I find for proof any abiding place; and Thou art indeed a forgiving and august Lord. Forgive me, then, for Thou art the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. O God! I call Thee to witness by that wherewith Thou bearest witness unto Thine own Self, and by that whereunto Thy Book testifieth—according to that which Thy knowledge hath encompassed, and according to that which hath even now descended upon me in a Book inscribed and a parchment spread open, and from a Book endowed with manifest authority—seeking thereby to unveil the secret that is concealed, to tremble at that which was revealed upon Sinai, and to drink of the pure Water of Kawthar amid those deaf, dark, and impenetrable gloom-filled shadows, through the balance of exposition bestowed by a forgiving Lord, from the hands of a servant whom He appointed on that Day as the twofold witness within a hidden House.

O my Lord! Nothing escapeth Thy knowledge, nor is aught in the heavens or on the earth too great for Thee. Thou art, verily, the Knower of all things and the Almighty over all things. Confirm, then, O God, his heart upon Thy religion as Thou willest; and I am content with whatsoever Thou willest—verily Thou art the Mighty, the All-Powerful.

O man! I have borne witness unto that which flowed from thy pen, and have discerned that which thou didst intend in the allusions of thy words. No doubt God is thy true aim; yet in this Day one such as thou doth not cleave unto one such as I, save whomsoever God may choose to assist by His command and make a guardian of His ordinance. Nevertheless, when I behold the fluctuation of thy state and the disquiet of thy inmost being concerning the Cause of thy Lord, the sea of my stillness is stirred, by reason of my love for thee and the sincerity of thy service unto God, thy Creator—though I perceive the veil that lieth between thee and me. Yet I hope from God, exalted be He, that He will decree for me that which He willeth and will give me rest through His promise. Verily He is the Generous, the Merciful.

O thou who ascendest unto the ladder of inner realities, and who gazest upon those subtle splendors! That which thou dost seek at this moment is the majesty of glory in its beginning and its end. The truth can never be attained save by the negation of all else beside it; and the essential realities of the verses of knowledge profit not him whose desire is the station of his Lord, through the removal of veils and allusions, signs and indications. Thus hath it been plainly declared by Him Who dwelt in the deep of names and attributes: that truth is the unveiling of the veils without allusion. That station abideth within thy hidden being and within thy presence; nay, thou hast no manifestation save through it.

And since the minds of the followers of Mulla Sadra were confounded, and the feet of some divine philosophers faltered in explaining this station, I shall indicate through wisdom’s proof the reality of this supreme creation: God hath ever been, and there was naught else besides Him. And now God is even as He was; nothing existeth at His level. Whoso claimeth to know Him through the existence of aught else—his knowledge is rendered void, for He hath never been associated with His creation nor can He be described through His servants.

Whoso desireth to proclaim His unity doth at that very moment associate partners with Him, for as He is, none but He can know Him, and none but He can proclaim His unity. All that His near servants have claimed regarding His knowledge is but knowledge of His creation through which He hath manifested Himself to it in the realm of His dominion. This is the utmost knowledge possible to contingent beings, for they can never ascend to the holy court of their Creator.

As ’Ali—peace be upon him—hath declared in the Orphan Sermon:

“If thou sayest He is He, thou hast distinguished Him from all things, so He is He. And if thou sayest He is He, the letters ‘He’ are but attributes by which to prove Him, not attributes that reveal Him. If thou assigneth Him limits, such limits pertain to other than Him. If thou sayest the air is His relation, the air is of His creation.”

Thus description returneth unto description. The heart is blinded from understanding, and understanding from comprehension, and comprehension from deduction. The dominion is established in the kingdom, creation returneth unto its like, and seeking findeth its form. Investigation leadeth unto impotence, exposition unto loss, striving unto despair, and attainment unto severance. The way is barred and seeking rejected. His proof is His signs and His existence His affirmation.

Verily God created the Will through itself, not from anything else. Then through it He created whatsoever beareth the name of a thing. The cause of its existence is itself and naught else. Whoso maintaineth that the Divine Essence was the cause of creation hath unknowingly associated partners with his Lord, for as He is, He cannot be associated with anything, nor doth anything exist with Him. It hath been established in wisdom that between cause and effect there must needs be similarity. Therefore did the Imam say that the cause of things is His handiwork, and He hath no cause. Some philosophers have stumbled in explaining this station according to their beliefs, which God hath not intended in His Book. May God forgive them through His grace, for He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Whoso maintaineth a connection between Truth and creation hath followed his idle fancy as did the first. This is error in the doctrine of the people of infallibility, for if the connection be the Essence itself, this hath no place in the doctrine of the family of God and is association according to what was recited unto thee before. And if it be creation, the people of the Bayan have no need to prove it. Therefore did the Imam, peace be upon him, say:

“Truth and creation, with no third between them, nor any third besides them.”

This is witnessed by whomsoever God hath caused to witness the creation of the heavens and earth. Then He created His own self, and God sufficeth Me as witness.

Whoso maintaineth the existence of fixed archetypes in the Divine Essence to prove His exalted knowledge, as most have done save whom God willeth, this is pure association in the doctrine of the family of God. For mention of their otherness in existence testifieth to separation and indicateth division. God is the Eternal who hath ever been in one state. If the archetypes be the Essence itself, it changeth not eternally and unity would be impossible even for itself. All such essential abstractions have no existence with God, exalted be His mention. I seek refuge with God from what Muhyi’d-Din al-’Arabi maintained—may God hasten His vengeance.

Verily God is the Eternal who begetteth not nor is begotten. He hath no likeness in creation nor proof in contingent being, for proof is proof for that which indicateth not itself by itself. Description is for that which describeth not itself by itself. Glory be to God above what they who liken Him to creation have falsely claimed about the unity of existence! God witnesseth no word more remote than their saying, for mention of the non-existent is subsidiary to the existent. The Essence hath ever been free of His creation, and His creation when they came into being had no mention with Him.

That which compelled the philosophers to speak of fixed archetypes and the uncompounded reality is their station of affirmation in the knowledge of God, glorified be He. The uncompounded reality is their affirmation in the knowledge of God, glory be to Him, the Most High. Indeed, to affirm that God’s knowledge comes from creation is falsehood and untruth, for God’s knowledge has ever been for Himself alone, and there was no object of knowledge with Him, and none knoweth how He is save Him. Whoso desireth to comprehend His knowledge hath at that moment denied his Lord, for how can one who hath found his reality through His creation, which was created from nothing, hope to know the knowledge of his Lord? He hath ever been All-Knowing, and there was naught with Him, and now He is All-Knowing, and there is naught at His level.

Part 2: “The mention of power, knowledge, and all names…”

The mention of power, knowledge, and all names and attributes are but signs for His creation and a means of sweeping away the vain imaginings of His servants, lest they doubt aught about their Creator. His knowledge is His Essence, free from His creation, and none can encompass His knowledge. The knowledge He hath attributed to Himself, which those who reason have deduced in the station of His justice, is the reality of creation, and its relation to Him is but an honorific relation, like the relation of creation to Him.

Otherwise, O thou who gazest from the most exalted perspective and dwellest in the supreme horizon, when thou lookest with the eye of truth, God hath no attribute apart from His Essence and no description apart from His presence. He knoweth all things as they are, whether universals or particulars, substances or accidents, after their creation just as on the day He had not created them. He knoweth them because knowledge is life, and just as God, glory be to Him, is Ever-Living in the eternity of eternities, and needeth not the existence of any living thing to prove His life, He was All-Knowing of all things without there being any object of knowledge.

Glory be to Him and exalted is He! He was ever All-Knowing when there was no object of knowledge, and now God is as He was, All-Knowing of all things, though no object of knowledge existeth at His level. The reality of knowledge at the level of the contingent is the object of knowledge itself, as al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) clearly stated in his words, exalted be his remembrance:

“Knowledge is the perfection of what is known, and power and might are the perfection of action.”

Were the universals of wisdom not complete in their inward and outward aspects, wisdom would not be perfect from the All-Wise, even were He powerful.

When thou considerest this exposition and knowest the reality of what exists in creation through this explanation, thou wilt be convinced that the secret reality mentioned in the traditions, by which the learned excel one another in explaining mysteries, is but a created and contingent sign unto which God hath manifested Himself through it, making it a sign of Himself that one might thereby advance toward His knowledge and attain to the reality of what is possible in contingent existence through God’s grace. It is a contingent sign like the letters of “There is no god but God,” which, while being assembled letters, indicate God.

Likewise is the sign of thy reality when thou hast removed from it the veils and allusions, and entered the house of majesty through the effacement of vision and the sobriety of station, and the attraction of oneness and stillness in the ocean of eternality. Then hast thou attained to the ultimate bounty of God in contingent existence, and I find no suspension in God’s bounty. Verily, the matter which thy presence hath been granted in the Book through mercy is the mystery of obligation and the ultimate station of recognition. Were I to interpret but one letter of thy allusions, all the seas of ink would be exhausted, for God hath created within everything the wisdom of all things. And he whom God, glorified be He, hath aided through His grace, is not veiled by anything in the heavens or on earth from the wisdom of any thing. The first letter of thy book is the letter “Ha” and I shall now indicate in its interpretation that which God hath written for me, and I beseech thy pardon for aught else.

Know that the letter “Ha” is the fifth rank of the manifestations of divine unity and the conditions of abstraction, and it is the letter of unity in the heart. And when it revolved in the four temples through the four witnessings, the letter “Kaf” appeared, which is the first word of the Command whereby all things were established. God, glorified be He, created the stations of unity in the letter “Ha.” Among them is the station of the Point, which is the station of Muhammad, the Messenger of God, where he dwelt in the station of unity from the realm of creation, retaining no mention of self beside Him. In this station he is unique, without likeness, exalted above any similitude, and detached from all connection and separation.

This is the station which God specially reserved for His Beloved and chose for His Prophet, making him in this station the manifestation of His Self in expression, inasmuch as God was and is eternally unconnected with the creation of things. He standeth in the station of true divine unity wherein none in all contingent existence can possibly attain save him, nor hath any other any portion of that wherewith God hath honored him and guided him. In that station he is absolute poverty incarnate and pure manifestation in the station of dust. Therefore my spirit and all who dwell in the kingdoms of Command and Creation glory in his poverty before all who dwell in the kingdom of names and attributes. This is the station of the mention of that Reality which no veils can conceal, which no proofs can match, which no signs can depart from, and which nothing among the verses can approach.

Glorified be its Originator! The eye of creation hath never seen the like of Muhammad, the Messenger of God, in all existence. All that others have said in his description is falsehood in his holy court and calumny against his sanctified glory. He is as God said on the night of the Ascension: “Thou art the Beloved and the Loved One.” And he himself said concerning his station: “None knoweth me save God and thou, O Ali.” And Ali, peace be upon him, said concerning him in his sermon on the Day of Ghadir and Friday: “And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger, whom He chose in pre-eternity above all nations, unique without similarity or likeness among the sons of his kind or peers.

He established him in His station throughout all His worlds in expression, since vision comprehendeth Him not, nor can thoughts of mind encompass Him, while He comprehendeth all vision, and He is the All-Subtle, the All-Informed.” This is the station of the Primal Will in contingent existence, where God manifested Himself to it through it for itself, and made it the sign of His kingdom that those who reflect might take lesson in the mention of the Most Beautiful Names and the Most Exalted Attributes—though all these are detached from His presence and withheld from His station. For He is as He is, none knowing how He is save God Who created him. So glorified be God above what they describe!

And among them is the station of the gentle Alif, and the mystery of eternity, and the divine reed, and the heavenly leaf. The Celestial Leaf and the Heavenly Tree and the Universal Guardianship through which God is known in the second station, and after the station of Muhammad, the Apostle of God, peace be upon Him, there is no true unity save through ’Ali, peace be upon him. All others know God as would an ant—nay, I seek God’s forgiveness for even this limitation. There exists no unity save his unity, as he himself, exalted be his remembrance, hath said in his last sermon:

“I am the meaning upon which no name nor likeness can be placed, and I am the Gate of Remission, and there is no power nor strength save in God, the Most High, the Most Great.”

And verily he, may my spirit be a sacrifice unto him, as the Most Great Lord hath testified, is known only to God and to himself. Sufficient proof of his excellence is that were it not for him, none like him would exist. And glorified be God, his Creator, above all description.

And among them is the station of Divine Unity, of the extended Alif; this is the station of the letters of “There is none other God but He”—eleven souls, the Imams of justice, the honored servants, who act not save by the command of God and who, in their fear of Him, are filled with awe. Verily, they do magnify the unity of God through stations pertaining unto ’Ali, peace be upon him, and none save themselves can attain unto them. All who are beside them are, in their sight, mentioned only through that unity whereby they themselves bear witness unto God.

Sufficient testimony to the excellence of their remembrance is that which shone forth from the holy precinct unto ’Uthman ibn Muhammad al-’Amri, in the visitation of the Family of God, where He Himself hath said concerning the irrevocable decree and the effacement:

“The fixed decree is that which your will hath reserved unto itself, and the effacement is that which your practice hath reserved unto itself.”

And every mention joined with the mention of others is, before their presence, but calumny against their holiness and falsehood in the face of their power.

Yet, since it hath ever been God’s wont to show forth beneficence, while the condition of contingent being is helplessness and want, God hath, through the bounty of His grace, accepted in behalf of the friends of those hallowed names. Otherwise, no one would have any portion in the knowledge of them, nor would any created thing possess any share in making mention of them. Glorified be God, their Creator, above all that they describe.

Among these is the station of the combined letters, which is the station of unity of Fatimih, the blessings of God be upon her. She speaks of God and indicates God through what God hath revealed to her through numbered mirrors. Through her light were created the realities of the Prophets, and through her were brought into being the essential gems of the successors from among God’s chosen ones and His Messengers. None among the Prophets and successors below her station have any share in her unity. The deeds of her physical form are purer and more elevated than the hearts of the Prophets and the essence of the successors. None knoweth her as she truly is save God and the Letters of Unity. Glorified be God above all description.

Among these is the station of the Words, which is the station of unity of the Prophets and the believers among humanity, who indicate God through the shadow of the light of Fatimih’s physical form, the blessings of God be upon her. They enter the sea of Oneness and the depths of Eternity and the Throne of Glory and Grandeur through the excellence of Fatimih’s remembrance, the blessings of God be upon her. None save them has any share in their unity and their knowledge of God, glorified be He. These are the cherubim of whom al-Sadiq spoke, saying:

“They are a people from among our followers from the first creation whom God hath placed behind the Throne. Were the light of but one of them to be divided among the people of the earth, it would suffice them.”

When Moses asked of his Lord what he asked, He commanded one among them, and He revealed Himself to him in the measure of a needle’s eye, whereupon the mountain crumbled and Moses fell down in a swoon. These five degrees all return to the negation of unity from unity, and though each of these degrees hath four stations which return to a single point. Among these is the unity of the Essence, in that as He is what He is, none knoweth Him save Him, and none can prove Him save Him, and none can say He is He save Him, for whatsoever is besides Him, should it speak or describe, pointeth to the station of its own self and telleth of the limits of its own geometry. And He, as He is in Himself, hath no name nor attribute, nor can anything prove Him, for proof is contingent upon conjunction, and all describe their own selves and adduce evidence of their own reality through their own signs. Glorified be God above what they describe!

And among these is the unity of attributes, in that God hath no attribute apart from His Essence, and no name apart from His presence, by the testimony of His Essence unto His Essence that He cannot be described by the attributes of His creation, and by the testimony of His creation unto His creation that the attribute, by its own testimony unto itself, returneth to the station of limitation. The existence of description itself is the greatest proof that God hath no attribute nor description. All names are signs of His Will, all similitudes are likenesses of His Purpose, all attributes are tokens of His Dominion, and all proofs are stations of His Grandeur. Thus glorified and exalted is God Who hath described Himself as having no description, and Who hath described Himself to His creation through what He hath revealed in His Book that they might know Him thereby and worship Him, not associating anyone with His worship.

And among these is the unity of deeds, wherein all feet have stumbled in understanding the matter between the two matters, which is the mystery of destiny, and whereby the servants recognize their Creator in the station of deeds. All who have addressed the question of destiny, whether through compulsion or delegation, including all the philosophers who have confessed their powerlessness to explain the reality of this matter—this indeed is the true state of affairs. For the philosophers desired to explain God’s command regarding the matter between the two matters through rational proof, which is impossible, since reason, even at the utmost degree of its abstraction, comprehendeth naught but that which is limited. And until the servant reacheth the summit of the heart’s portion, whoever sitteth upon the throne of reason’s sovereignty must needs confess either to delegation or compulsion, for that which lieth between them—the matter between the two matters, the station more expansive than what lieth between the heaven of receptivities and the earth of acceptances—can only be comprehended by the heart which God hath created for the knowledge of His unity and the sanctification of his Lord.

The servant recognizeth God’s unity in the station of deeds and becometh certain of the truth of that verse from the Most Exalted: “Is there any Creator other than God who provideth for you from heaven and earth? There is no God but He!” “This is God’s creation; now show Me what those beside Him have created.” Nay, the wrongdoers are in manifest error.

Without this awareness, the servant comprehendeth not what is incumbent upon him in wisdom. Therefore did the Imam say:

“Destiny is a secret among God’s secrets, a protection among God’s protections, raised up in God’s veil, concealed from God’s creation, sealed with God’s seal, foreknown in God’s knowledge. God hath relieved His servants of its knowledge.”

God has lifted His knowledge above His servants and raised it above their testimonies and the extent of their minds, for they cannot attain it through divine reality, nor through eternal power, nor through luminous grandeur, nor through the might of oneness. It is a surging, overflowing sea, purely for God, the Mighty and Glorious. Its depth extends between heaven and earth, its width between east and west, black as the darkest night, full of serpents and whales, rising at times and sinking at others. In its depths shines a sun which none should seek to discover except the One, the Single. Whoever attempts to discover it has opposed God, the Mighty and Glorious, in His wisdom, contested His sovereignty, unveiled His secret and His covering, and has incurred God’s wrath—his abode is hell, an evil destination.

Part 3: “The secret of the matter is that none…”

The secret of the matter is that none should see the manifestation of things’ actions as they truly are except the soul that manifests the choices of things as they are and as they continue infinitely in what has no end. None should see any light except His light, nor any decree except His decree, for nothing exists in the heavens or earth except through seven stages which are the stations of the Family of God, peace be upon them. The servant, at the time of action, acts through the action of destiny from One All-Knowing and All-Wise, for God, glorified be He, has always known the choices of all and how they proceed therein, recompensing them according to their qualities and giving them their due.

This choice accompanies the existence of things, and nothing exists except through its choice, for at the time of the choice’s existence when God the Exalted said “Am I not your Lord?”, had there not been choice, the response “Yea” would not have been given. Similarly is the decree in every aspect and every matter. If the observer truly looks, he sees the manifestation of “Am I not your Lord?” only in himself through the mention of “Yea” or in manifestation through the mention of “Nay”—and it is a mystery. They see no influencer except God, witness no command except God’s command, worship nothing alongside Him, and believe regarding the right of the Family of God neither in delegation nor in suspension. Rather, God has never ceased to create what He wills, how He wills, through what He wills. He has no partner in His action, no protecting friend in His command, and He is as He is in His action—none knows how He is except Him.

God has taught in the Qur’an through His exalted word: “Whatever good befalls thee is from God, and whatever evil befalls thee is from thyself. We have sent thee as a Messenger to mankind and God suffices as a witness.” Then His exalted word: “Say: All is from God.” This indeed is the secret of the unity of actions. God has not revealed any verse mentioning this truth more perfectly and completely than the words “There is no power nor strength except through God.” Glory be to God above what they describe. And from this comes the unity of worship, where God, exalted be His mention, said: “Say: I am but a mortal like you. It is revealed to me that your God is one God. So whoever hopes to meet his Lord, let him do righteous work and not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord.” And this unity is identical to the unity of the Essence.

That Unity is itself the unity of Essence, Attributes and Deeds. Whosoever uniteth God through unity of Essence hath indeed unified Him according to how He hath described Himself in the station of Attributes, Deeds and Worship. And whosoever worshippeth God through attribute or name hath not worshipped Him and is indeed a polytheist. And whosoever worshippeth Him through mention of His Self is like unto the first, a polytheist. And whosoever worshippeth God according to how He hath described Himself through His names and attributes which God hath revealed in His Book, hath worshipped Him in the manner possible within the bounds of contingent existence. Otherwise, as He is in Himself and as beseemeth Him, none besides Him hath known Him so as to worship Him. He hath ever been beyond description through signs, beyond characterization through tokens, and none but He can indicate His own Self.

Verily the servant cannot worship God in any way save as He willeth. In God’s Cause there is the decree of Bada, and in God’s Book it hath two stations: the Bada of justice, which departeth not from the essence of anything, and from which nothing is secure—it is God’s Cause which all things fear, and if God desired to destroy all creation, by this Bada would He destroy it instantly, and none can resist His Will, none can question His deed, none can thwart His decree, and none can comprehend His purpose. He doeth what He willeth through what He willeth, and nothing in the heavens or earth is too great for Him, and He is the Mighty, the Wise. And the Bada of grace is in the rank of destiny, and it is grace and favor for the believers whereby God changeth their evil deeds to good deeds and eraseth from the pages of their works the bounds of transgression, bestowing upon whomsoever He willeth whatsoever He willeth, and He is the Self-Sufficient, the All-Praised.

Verily these four ranks are in truth a single manifestation in five stations, and in the fifth rank wherein the Prophets, people, believers and angels affirm His unity, it is as al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, indicated in his words, exalted be his remembrance: “We are the root of all good, and our branches are all righteousness, and of righteousness is the unity whereby God is unified.” The Imams, peace be upon them, have derived from the manifestation of Fatimih’s form, God’s blessings be upon her, and thus the Imam was attributed to His Cause for it is the first station of deed. And this station was revealed through the four stations of unity in His words, exalted be His remembrance: “Our Cause is the mystery, and mystery enshrouded in mystery, and mystery veiled by mystery, and mystery that only mystery can reveal.” Then His words, exalted be His remembrance: “Our Cause is the truth, and truth of truth, and it is the manifest, and manifest of the manifest, and hidden of the hidden, and it is the mystery, and mystery of mystery, and mystery enshrouded in mystery, and mystery veiled by mystery.”

And all this pertaineth to the stations of limitation and the path of the limited. But for those detached unto God in the depths of oneness, and those dwelling upon the throne of might and eternality, verily the inscribed enshrouded mystery is the manifest witnessed sign, and the unseen with them is the very essence of witnessing, and none knoweth them in this station save God. They are a people who look not upon anything except through the gaze of the Lord, judge not anything except through His judgment, and alter no decree save by His leave. These are the ambassadors of the Faith.

That which they ordained was not changed except by His leave, and these are the ambassadors of the Faith and pillars of certitude. Were it not for them, no rain would descend from heaven nor would vegetation spring forth from the earth. May God grant me their companionship in the gardens of Eden, and those who are righteous among their fathers and their offspring, through His grace—verily He is the Mighty, the Forgiving.

We have indeed alluded in the depths of these allusions that the matter which thou didst desire cannot be realized except through the negation of allusions. Nay, the veil is more subtle than that, and the mirrors of reality more delicate than that glass. The negation of allusion is itself a form of allusion. Today, if thou dost not cast away what is in thy right hand and thy left of the veils of subtleties and signs of delicacies, thou canst not journey unto God in the land of the crimson sand.

For one such as thee, this matter is indeed difficult and arduous, for the darkness of the words of the people of veils hath encompassed thy inner being. Though such deeds may be counted as good deeds for the believers and blessings for the distressed, yet since thou hast desired this greatest path and mightiest station, I have ventured to mention these words unto thee, that the holy fragrances might draw thee to the summit of attributes and these allusions might free thee from what thou hast perceived from the allusions of the people of veils.

When thou turnest unto God, the Lord of lords, the allusions, veils, signs and stations are unveiled, and in the moment of heedlessness therefrom, thou enterest the Throne of Glory. This station, despite its grandeur and majesty, is nearer than the twinkling of an eye and more subtle than the closest glance. This indeed is the honor for one who was at the Greatest Scene when the Hour drew nigh and the moon was cleft asunder.

Verily God hath placed honor in the knowledge of this station and in deeds performed in its vicinity, as al-Sadiq indicated in his words—exalted be his remembrance—when asked about the vision of God in the hereafter. He said: “Nay, the believers shall see Him before the Day of Resurrection.” It was asked: “How is this so?” He replied: “When He said ‘Am I not your Lord?’ Then the veil was lifted.” He said: “Dost thou not see Him at this very moment?”

And Ali’s indication in his Tutunjiyyih sermon where he said—and his word is the truth: “I saw God and Paradise with the eye of certainty.” By his vision—may my spirit be a sacrifice for him—he meant the vision of His manifestation unto him through Him at every moment, as al-Sadiq explained in his renowned tradition: “Servitude is a substance whose essence is Lordship,” until he said “Present in thy absence and thy presence.” And his martyred father indicated in his prayer on the Day of Arafah: “Other than Thee has an appearance that Thou hast not,” until he said: “Blind is the eye that seeth Thee not, while Thou art ever watchful over it, and at loss is the servant whom Thou hast not granted a share of Thy love.”

This station is indeed the ultimate portion of contingent being at the point of conjunction, where God manifests Himself to the servant through Him in every moment with what pertains to might and glory. O thou who gazest upon the countenance of glory, magnify the Cause of God within thyself and observe thy Lord’s mercy toward thee, for thy need in every condition is like unto thy need at the beginning of thy existence, when thou wert not even mentioned. Verily God manifesteth Himself unto thee through thee at every moment, just as He manifested Himself on the first day, for the servant’s need for sustenance hath never ceased nor shall it ever be lifted.

Verily, God revealeth Himself unto thee, through thine own self, in every instant, with a revelation like unto His revelation on the First Day; for the servant’s need of sustaining grace hath ever been, and shall never be, removed. And God, in every state, revealeth Himself unto every state, through every state, with a revelation like unto His revelation unto them, through themselves, on the First Day. Nay rather, were man to behold the mystery of Reality, he would behold his own self—and indeed all his states—as a creation of the First Day. He would perceive in no state any light save His Light, nor any decree save through His Justice, nor any affliction save by His Ordainment, nor any Origination (bada’) save by His Sanction.

Indeed, were the servant to remain steadfast in this condition, the attributes of divine lordship would flow through him, even as revealed in the sacred tradition: “My servant draweth nigh unto Me through supererogatory acts until I love him; and when I love him, I become the ear wherewith he heareth, and the eye wherewith he seeth, and the hand wherewith he graspeth. When he calleth upon Me, I answer him; when he asketh of Me, I grant his request; and when he is silent before Me, I initiate discourse with him.” Thus are all his conditions, both hidden and manifest. His self becometh His Self, his deed His Deed, his command His Command, his prohibition His Prohibition, his obedience His Obedience, his disobedience His Disobedience, his love His Love—and likewise all that is attributed to him, even as the Sacred House is attributed to God, without similitude, for that which is being compared becometh identical with that to which it is compared, as indicated in the mystery of the tradition: “He revealed Himself to her through her, casting His image upon her essence, thus manifesting His acts through her.”

Blessed, then, is he whom God hath raised unto Himself, freed from the conditions of his self and the transgressions of his days, and preserved upon the throne of His oneness, seeing none besides Him, asking naught save through His remembrance, finding solace in none save His nearness, seeing no glory save in His good-pleasure, no wrath save in His punishment, no spirit save in His splendor, no tranquility save in His praise. And thou, O noble one, knowest well the paths of remembrance and guidance, and I fear not for thee when thou findest intimacy in the sacred precincts with thy glorious Lord.

Verily this matter possesseth such subtlety that none can reckon it save God. If thou art veiled from it by the slightest hint, thou shalt be removed from it to a degree none knoweth save God. Even as when Kumayl questioned Ali (upon him be peace), he, may my spirit be his sacrifice, turned him away for that which he asked, since He about Whom he inquired was nearer to him than himself. How can one who perceiveth not the Light that encompasseth his inner and outer being—such that no other light existeth—possibly behold Reality through Reality and witness the mystery of Divine Unity through the Eternal Light? Verily this is as manifest to one such as thyself as the sun at its zenith.

And since God knew that some people, through their love for that station wherein whoso standeth hath stood by God’s command, created for those who gaze upon His countenance in the eternity of eternities and who abide with Him at every instant, signs and tokens whereby may be distinguished him in whom that station is confounded from him who standeth in certitude in the Sacred Mosque, lest people be removed from the effulgences of the glory of His sovereignty and all might know the revelations of His mighty power, and none might say “Had God acquainted me with His signs, I would surely have been among the thankful.”

When thou art certain of this matter, look to the proof and be patient concerning the signs of the All-Glorious, for the mystery of this ocean is profound, most profound, and the wisdom of that mystery is exquisite, most exquisite, and the veil of that Cause is subtle, most subtle, and the attributes of that servant are delicate, most delicate. And when thou didst desire in that station the mention of the Balance and the measure of utterance and the proof of man in utterance, I loved that thou shouldst be endeared with the knowledge thereof. Wherefore look unto what We have sent down in explanation of the Kawthar to him who hath turned and given thanks, and warn every one who hath waxed proud and disbelieved.

But I adjure thee by God to look upon Our signs with the eye of love and insight, for the proof of that Cause is naught but the truth and none can uphold it save whom God willeth. Forget not what God hath ordained for thee, for today thou knowest My weakness and art able to remove My distress. I do not complain to thee, but since I know what lieth beyond that Cause, I desire that thou shouldst be as God created thee, and be unto God’s creation as God hath been unto thee.

Part 4: “I know that these forms of knowledge…”

I know that these forms of knowledge and contrary conditions grieve thee and keep thee from attaining unto divine decrees and the mystery of eternity and the sign of oneness in the word of the All-Merciful. But read some of Our pages, for through thy communion with God thou shalt find what hath never occurred to the heart of any mortal, and thou shalt know divine knowledge that no pen hath ever recorded in the chain of creation. And whatsoever doubts and accidents occur to thy heart, dispel them through the Balance of the measure, for God hath created utterance for man, and had God known anything more noble than speech He would have made it the means between Him and His Messengers.

Glorified be God! How perfect is His favor, how great His proof, how mighty His Call! He accepteth from His servants what none else would accept. Verily, I was aforetime in such condition that I knew not a letter of what I know this day. God hath made the proof such that none can turn away from it save by submission, and should they desire to turn away, it would be as though they turned away from that which they believed before, for the handiwork of the Lord cannot be confused with the work of creation, and the proof of the Book cannot be nullified by the lies of men.

For in God Who created all things is the sign of His unity in the reality of all things. The Christians say “the third of three,” and some people today are like unto them in the station of worship, for they see a deity, then themselves, then an attribute, and verily this deed is the saying of the Christians where divinity entered into humanity. Exalted is God above what the wrongdoers say! And for every light there must needs be darkness, but God promised aforetime in the Qur’an that He would vindicate the truth through His signs and bring to naught the deeds of the idolaters though they be averse.

Verily, I have spoken to men only of the favor of my Lord, of what God hath honored me with of verses, prayers, sermons and realities of knowledge through what God hath ordained behind the veils. Verily, I have not denied a single letter of the Faith, nor added thereto a letter, nor have I said aught save what God said aforetime in the Qur’an: “Fear God and He will give you knowledge of distinction,” and His mighty Word: “Fear God and God will teach you.” People have indeed fabricated falsehoods, following their idle fancies, and they speak naught but lies.

Verily that which God hath bestowed upon him who contendeth for the Faith against those who deny the Leaders of Justice from the Mother City and its environs consisteth of four signs in the realm of outward manifestation.

The first is the station of verses which I recite without reflection and write without pause of the pen according to the will of God, my Lord. This is a proof which none can withstand, nor can any bring forth the like thereof. Were God to know that I abide not in His love and good-pleasure, He would create another being who would recite as I recite from the Book of God—and God sufficeth as a witness.

The second is the station of prayers and supplications unto God, the All-Glorious, whereby, should He will it, there would flow from My pen in six hours less than a thousand, without thought or pause of the pen.

The third is the station of sermons, the like of which none but I have ever uttered.

The fourth is the station of knowledge, whereby there hath flowed from My pen in times past numerous pages, recorded epistles, and preserved books. The glory in these words lieth not in the words themselves, nor in their allusions and correlations, but rather in the divine mystery and the manifestation of the eternal which is the source of all good within My soul and upon which every matter turneth. This matter sufficeth for this Faith, and God sufficeth as a guardian. And should […?] command Me to unveil a mystery from this Cause, were I not to desire to interpret but a single letter “ha” at the beginning of the Book, what I would mention in that word would be such that all the seas of the heavens and earth would not suffice to contain it, should God choose to reveal its interpretation through one of His servants. Yet I shall mention concerning the mystery of the letter “ha” some interpretation of what I intended.

Know thou that a mystery remaineth ever concealed, and if revealed, it ceaseth to be a mystery. Knowledge in the station of mysteries is, as commanded by ’Ali ibn al-Husayn, peace be upon them both, unto Jabir, in seven degrees, as he said, exalted be his mention: “O Jabir, knowest thou what knowledge is? Knowledge is first the affirmation of Divine Unity, second the knowledge of meanings, third the knowledge of the Gates, fourth the knowledge of the Imam, fifth the knowledge of the Pillars, sixth the knowledge of the Chiefs, and seventh the knowledge of the Nobles.” This is in accordance with His words, exalted be He: “Say: If the ocean were ink for the words of my Lord, the ocean would be exhausted before the words of my Lord would be exhausted, even if We brought another ocean like it as support.”

He also recited: “And if all the trees on earth were pens, and the ocean, with seven more oceans to aid it, were ink, yet would not the words of God be exhausted. Verily God is Mighty, Wise.” O Jabir! The affirmation of Divine Unity and the knowledge of meanings—as for the affirmation of Divine Unity, it is the knowledge of God, the Ancient, the Ultimate, Whom vision comprehendeth not while He comprehendeth all vision, and He is the Subtle, the All-Informed. He is the Hidden, the Concealed; thou shalt know Him as He hath described Himself. As for the meanings, We are His meanings and His manifestation among you, created from the light of His Essence.

We created from the light of His Essence that which is manifest among you, and He delegated unto Us the affairs of His servants. We act by His leave as We please, and when We will, God willeth, and when We desire, God desireth. God the Almighty hath established Us in this station and chosen Us from among His servants, making Us a proof in His lands. Whoso denieth aught thereof hath denied God, glorified be His name, and disbelieved in God and His Prophets and His Messengers…

These seven are themselves the stages of action and the manifestations of creation, as He, exalted be His mention, hath said: Nothing existeth in earth or heaven save through seven: through Will, Purpose, Destiny, Decree, Permission, Term, and Book. Whoso claimeth that God can dispense with even one of these hath indeed disbelieved. Most people have perished through their failure to comprehend what God hath ordained for them. He hath judged through the tradition of His chosen ones, in the station of the inner meaning, that whoso diminisheth one of these hath disbelieved. I seek refuge with God from the misleading trials and beseech God through His grace for the inner meanings of the traditions.

The mystery in the Bayan pointeth to the knowledge of God, glorified be He, and He is His own mystery, His very Self and none other, for God’s mystery is identical with His outward manifestation, and His outward manifestation identical with His being, His beginning identical with His end, and His eternity identical with His perpetuity. None knoweth His mystery save Him, and He hath no mystery apart from His Essence, no attribute apart from His presence. Glorified be God, Lord of the Throne, above what they describe.

As to the mystery of the meanings, it is to know what was previously detailed concerning the decree of the Point in the station of unity, and what floweth by God’s leave from the water of that spring—the water of life—and it is the Unknown whereof God, exalted be His mention, hath said: “None knoweth the Unknown save He.” Glorified and exalted be He above what they describe.

As for the mystery in the station of the Gates, it is the mystery in the universal Guardianship whereof God, glorified be He, hath said:

“Here guardianship belongeth unto God, the Truth. He is best in reward, and best in consequence.”

It is the mystery of manifestation, the camphor tree, the purifying water, the frequented House, the garments of light, the pure zealous Essence, the lofty witnessed Glory, the hidden concealed Symbol, and the Fire borrowed from the Mount, which is the mystery of the First and the First is none other than He, and God maketh no distinction between them save the distinction of attribute not separation, even as God hath placed between motion and rest, or between the Kaf and the Nun, and between separation and union. None knoweth His mystery save He, and glorified be God above what they describe.

As for the mystery of the Imamate, it is the mystery of the letters of “There is no God but God” in the inscribed lines, then in the Scriptures and Verses, then in the reeds of the Divine Realm and the Throne of Names and Attributes, then in the thicket of the Realm of Power and the Seat of Glory and Kingdom, then in the mention of essential realities, material things, the separate, the connected, the united, the severed, the manifest, the concealed, the radiant, and the darkened, where none comprehendeth their knowledge save the pure Family of God, the signs of abstraction, the pillars of unity, the tokens of glorification, and the proofs of praise. Glorified be God, their Creator, above what they describe.

As for the mystery in the station of the Pillars, it is the light manifested from the sun of Fatimih’s form, the blessings of God be upon her, in the realities of the Prophets; it is from the mystery of the manifestation of the Prophets.

And as for the mystery in the station of the Chiefs, it is from the mystery of the manifestation of the Prophets, and they are thirty souls who were in the presence of the Imam, as that tradition explicitly states, saying:

“How excellent is this goodly station, and there is no loneliness with thirty.”

Verily, recognition of them and acknowledgment of them is obligatory, for they are the bearers of grace in creation and legislation. Their mystery is the mystery of the Imam, and whosoever today turns to anyone besides them is truly among the ignorant ones.

As for the mystery in the station of the Nobles, it is from the manifestation of the light of the hearts of the Chiefs. Were they to discover the mystery of the Chiefs, they would surely slay them, as is explicitly stated in the tradition wherein He, exalted be His mention, said:

“If Abu Dharr knew what was in Salman’s heart, he would surely have slain him.”

Verily that mystery exists, is witnessed, and is hidden in all seven ranks, and God does not judge concerning these mysteries in those verses except according to what their souls have accepted. God will surely reward all through His grace, and there is no God but Him, the Possessor of great bounty.

The mystery in these seven ranks is the reality within them whereby they know the unity of God their Creator. The proportion of God’s manifestation through all of them is equal. The dwellers in the depths of the Bayan know God’s unity, and He unifies them through the unity of His own Self. None of creation precedes them, nor have they any veil save their own existence, nor any book save their own souls. He who knows God’s unity in the station of meanings knows the seven mirrors of the Bayan, even if he perceives not those mirrors, yet knows his station as one who beholds God in the second mirrors. Likewise are the servants who know God’s unity in the five mirrors—each knows God’s unity according to what pertains to unity, might, glory, divinity, power and dominion.

They behold no mirrors between them in the state of unity, but God, from behind them, knows their stations and bears witness to what their hands have earned. Though this station has no likeness, I allude to what is most subtle in the realm of physicality: Consider the manifested form of a standing Alif, and before it mirrors, then before those mirrors more mirrors until reaching seven. Do the seventh mirrors reflect aught but the form of the Alif? Nay, by thy Lord! All call upon God, indicate Him, judge by His greatness, fear His dominion, rule by His leave, act by His command, and intercede by His permission.

The difference is that what is reflected in the seventh mirrors resembles proportionally what is reflected in the sixth mirrors, and thus some excel others. There is no greater nobility in the perfection of good qualities and virtuous attributes, for that is the station of the effect of the deed. The station of the essence of the servant is what I have indicated to thee in the series of seven, which flows in a series of eight from the world of Command to the world of Creation. All the worlds are confined to these eight, for the first determination of the first Kaf is the station of Muhammadhood, which is the Garden of Eternity wherein through manifestation it entered and has not emerged, and whereunto He hath never entered from without. Then verily that Paradise is the portion of the Family of God, who are the Imams of Justice, and no one among creation hath any share therein.

And the second is the station of the unity of the Prophets, and the third is the station of the unity of humanity, and the fourth is the station of the unity of the jinn, and the fifth is the station of the unity of the angels, and the sixth is the station of the unity of animals, wherein the ant supposeth that God hath two antennae, just as man supposeth that He hath knowledge and power and likewise all attributes and names. And just as people invalidate the unity of the ant, so too doth he who standeth in a rank above invalidate their unity. And the seventh is the station of the unity of plants, and the eighth is the station of the unity of minerals. And verily that rank revealeth what is above it save what is in its outward manifestation.

And verily the eight paradises which God hath created for those who love Him are these stations indicated. The wayfarer beholdeth in the land of the highest heaven all his stations and witnesseth the bliss of the hereafter which hath been tasted from the fruit of the mystery of Reality in this world, in a station as though he were in the land of the Paradise of Glory and under the shade of the darkened Paradise of Beauty. And verily one such as thee understandeth these allusions, and there is no need in exposition to mention the evidences, the verses, the signs, and the stations, for the Command of God in all things is nearer than the twinkling of an eye, and the Beginning of God upon all things is through the Greatest Vision.

Part 5: “And verily I intended not in mentioning these…”

And verily I intended not in mentioning these words save to manifest the divine attributes to the people of glory. And verily one such as thee is more exalted in station than to look upon them and mention therein the decree of differences. And when thou art apprised of that which was not with thee from the decisive verses, then pardon thyself, for verily that water floweth by the leave of God, the Lord of Names and Attributes. I seek forgiveness of God, my Lord, then I ask pardon of thee for what the Pen hath set down in mentioning the allusions in the depths of these words, for the station of the servant is that of the element of dust, and these allusions befit not the presence of Him Who possesseth the Names and Attributes. Glory be to God, thy Lord, the Lord of the Throne, above what they describe.

And since the matter was concealed in words, and the glories in the world of indications are not unveiled save through the mention of stations, I make mention in that station that shouldst thou arrive, thou wouldst witness the lights in the reality of mysteries. And it is that when the servant arriveth at the station of Reality, which is the station of the manifestation of the knowledge of God to him through Him, he witnesseth all things as they are and seeth naught in the countenance of multiplicities save the manifestation of the unity of the Essence.

And verily that station is thy Most Holy Sanctuary, and thy Most Exalted Paradise, and the station of thy love and thy beloved and thy Best-Beloved, and the station of the unity of thy word and the word of the Act of God in thy mystery, and the station of thy subsistence in God, and the station wherein all thy attributes and thy names and thy manifestations appear from what was beneath the rank of thine essence, and the station of thy existence through God and thy effacement in God, and the station of thy circumambulation around thine essence through the seven ranks of thine act, and the station of thy putting on the garment, and in the station of casting off the pebbles of thine intimations, stations, indications, signs and verses, and in the station through which was manifested what was manifest in thy rank, and was concealed what was hidden in thy mystery, and rose what rose in thy reality, and gleamed what gleamed in thine essence, and shone what shone in thy spirit, and was magnified what was exalted in thine identity, and dawned what dawned in the station of thy physical being—where no veils can conceal it and no verses of scripture can equal it—it is the first light wherewith God revealed Himself to thee through thee, and at every moment He revealeth Himself to thee through thee by that light when thou didst behold the Tree of Sinai in the presence of the Frequented Fane.

And these intimations are the portion of the heedless who see not the Truth in the darkness of night. Otherwise, one like thyself seeth all words as one Word, and all differences as a specific geometry, and all intimations as a single indication, and all verses as a clear mirror that telleth of the oneness of the Essence and proclaimeth divinity upon the throne of names and attributes.

And for one like thyself the indications cause no confusion, for the Command of God in all things is one, and the decree of God reacheth all things. Verily those who veil themselves from recognition of the Glory in the mystery of wealth are certain of God’s Cause yet deny it unjustly through what their hands have earned aforetime.

And from one like thyself is not concealed what hath occurred before. Unto God do we complain, then unto Muhammad, the Chosen One, and unto Him returneth the judgment of the Hereafter and of former times. And verily He is in the Most Exalted Horizon, speaking on behalf of the Lord Most High. The heart lied not in what it saw. Will ye then dispute with Him concerning what He saw? He speaketh not from mere impulse. It is naught but a revelation revealed.

And verily I have unveiled from the face of mystery the decree of mystery and the intimations of the Command, and this is truly mystery upon mystery, where today none can raise it save the mystery, and naught can benefit it save the unveiling. In God do I trust, and I say:

“Naught shall befall us save what God hath decreed. He is our Master; in Him do we trust, and in Him let the believers place their trust.”

And what I have interpreted of the interpretation of the letter Ha is a mention from the praise of the Tree of Glory, whereby the people of divine decree know through the principle of origination in the crimson pillar. And verily it is the mystery of creation, for the element of fire in the world of origination cannot exist save through the element of earth, for naught besides God exists independently in its essence except that it is compound.

When the decree of duality is established, the decree of connection is established, for a thing is not a thing except through its existence, which is the aspect of revelation therein, and through its identity, which is the aspect of receptivity, and through the connection that occurs between the conjunction. These three ranks are the rank of trinity in the first name God chose for Himself.

From this the Christians took the form of the cross and the indwelling of divinity in humanity. Exalted is God above what the people of the human realm know of the warbling of the birds of the divine cloud upon the branches of the Tree of Divinity. And that is the decree of the triangle of modality in the Name of the Eternal, Radiant, Holy Providence which points at every moment to His breast and says by God’s leave:

“There the sovereignty belongeth unto God, the Truth. He is best for reward.”

By God’s leave He says: There is the divine authority which belongs to God, the Truth—He is the best in reward and the best in punishment. Indeed, the three primary names in the beginning of action are Will, Purpose and Determination, which the people of the Bayan interpret in their exposition as Creation, Origination, Invention, Bringing into Being, and Generation. Nothing can exist except through the indicative elements, even if the Command itself were within the Will, for contingent existence is impossible except through two pairs. Once duality is established, the mention of attributes extends infinitely with what has no end.

The element of earth which is interpreted at the level of Will is of the nature of its realm, which is the pillar of the acceptance of the fire of existence after these: the fire of non-existence and the water of ink. In this pattern has God created all things and decreed in every world according to that pattern.

Look at Purpose, which is the primal Eve of Adam and the Throne upon which Will was established through the All-Merciful, how God created it with four pillars—among them the pillar of Destiny which is the element of fire and the manifestation of the First Cause. Its color is white due to pure simplicity from the attributes of multiplicities, indications and signs. From it was whitened what was in the thicket of the Divine Realm from unpolluted water from the rivers of Paradise. The word of glorification was found in the realm of Might, and through it all whiteness in the thicket of Dominion, then Kingdom, then the mortal world is raised and lowered. The attributes of that pillar are not encompassed by the knowledge of any created being—among them the Sacred House of God, the Sacred Month, the mention of glorification at the ground of the Sacred Monument and Station, and the obligation of the pillar of Unity in the words “There is no God but God” where whoever did not say “yea” in the Primal Scene was not brought into being. Through one such as yourself endowed with insight are known the attributes of that pillar which none can encompass save whom God wills—verily there is no God but Him, the Possessor of tremendous grace.

And among them is the pillar of Permission which is the element of air and manifestation of the Material Cause. Its color is yellow from what is appointed, and from it yellowness became yellow in all things, and by its light does God provide sustenance to all things, for the First Pillar which is the Efficient Cause is the cause of life, as God, exalted be His mention, has said:

“He it is Who created you, then provided sustenance for you, then causes you to die, then brings you to life.”

The bearer of that pillar is the Exalted One, and thus appeared the yellow color in his countenance at the time of his passing, and that is evidence for the day of his beginning, for the Seal is precisely the Beginning according to the people of the Bayan. And whoever curses the sun and moon in their calculated courses—that is the station of praise and the pillar opposite the Yemeni pillar. It has attributes in limited examples, existing geometry, numbered signs and lost knowledge. The one who gazes upon the Countenance of Glory surely recognizes the attributes of that pillar as God has willed—verily He is the Possessor of ancient grace.

And among them is the pillar of the Appointed Time which is the element of water and manifestation of the Formal Cause and the Primal, Eternal Reed and the third leaf from the Divine Tree which is neither of the East nor of the West, its color is green, and from it everything has derived its verdancy, and through it God causes all things to die in the third manifestation, and it is the highest lower pillar of the Throne and the manifestation of His mention in the rank of creation and the word of unity, and thus multiplicities appeared in that rank as do the multiplicity of letters in the mention of “There is no god but God.” And it has infinite aspects with infinite manifestations, wherein the one who gazes upon God witnesses all that the All-Merciful has willed in that pillar. And if one possessed of true insight wished to correlate what has been ordained by the Imams with the letters of “There is no god but God,” he would be able to do so, and that would not be difficult for Us if God should will it and permit it, and I am but a penitent servant.

And one of its pillars is the rank of the Book, and it is the element of earth and the manifestation of the final cause in the world of names and attributes, and its color is red, and from it everything has derived its redness, and geometry has been established in the mystery of all things, and destiny has been determined in the decree of all things, and through it the earth is quickened after its death, and the earth shines with the light of its Lord, and on that Day the earth shall relate its tidings, for thy Lord will have inspired it. And through it God quickens in the fourth manifestation the changing hearts, the determined souls, the dead spirits, and the corrupt bodies, and makes them living beings like unto the steadfast hearts, the firm souls, the good spirits, and the pure bodies.

And today God desires this matter for mankind because the pillar of finality, which is the fruit of creation and the mystery of invention and the manifestation of the three causes in origination, has appeared like unto some of the aspects of the three pillars with the supreme proofs of knowledge and the most great holy manifestations, whereby one whose nature is human nature knows that these aspects could not have been fashioned by man except by leave of the All-Merciful. For one who speaks a word and says that if all were to gather together to produce the like thereof, they would not be able to do so and would never succeed—this is no simple matter nor light utterance, for the letters of the alphabet are in everyone’s possession, so how is it they cannot do it, and if they could do it, why have they not done so?

Nay, by thy Lord, the Lord of the heavens and earth, were all those on earth from the chain of subjects to gather together, they would not be able to produce a single verse like unto what I read and write. And this is witnessed by every just one, that the work of creation allows for human endeavor, while the work of the Lord Himself is distinguished from the work of creation, and people today cannot say a word concerning this proof except that the same word is found in the Qur’an, so that truth may be established by God’s command, even though the polytheists detest it.

And God, glorified be He, through His subtle craftsmanship and His mighty favor, has manifested the mystery of that hidden pillar among the non-Arabs, lest it be difficult for anyone to acknowledge Him and His Cause, that He is the servant of God, confirming what was in the Book and the Tradition, even letter by letter. And God has made this matter clear through one whom no one ever imagined was among those possessed of knowledge and clear and decisive verses and evident proofs. Through him God has tested the souls of the believers, just as occurred what occurred after what was manifested was manifested, and they stand firm in their obedience to God’s religion like mountains. Through this Cause, those who were destined for felicity in the first particle are made happy, and those destined for wretchedness in the fourth particle are made wretched.

According to what has been revealed in the traditions from the mines of mysteries, during the Occultation of the Proof (peace be upon him) there must needs be a dark, blind, deaf and hellish test, so that those created from the clay of light may be purified and those not of that clay may be condemned by the decree of the wicked. This is clearly stated in that sacred verse of the Qur’an: “Do men think that they will be left alone on saying ‘We believe’ and not be tried?” And the Imam, exalted be His mention, said: “By God, you shall be broken as glass is broken, but glass can be restored as it was. By God, you shall be broken as pottery is broken, and pottery cannot be restored as it was.

By God, He shall surely distinguish! By God, He shall surely sift as darnel is sifted from wheat!” Then the words of al-Sadiq, exalted be His holiness: “The Master of this Cause has an occultation, and one who holds fast to his religion during it is like one who grasps thorns.” Then His words, exalted be His glory, to Mansur: “O Mansur! This Cause shall not come to you except after despair. Nay, by God, not until you are distinguished! Nay, by God, not until you are tested! Nay, by God, not until the wretched are made wretched and the fortunate are made fortunate!” As spoken in the traditions: “The people shall be so tested that nine-tenths of them shall fall away.” As He, exalted be His mention, said: “This shall not be until they are distinguished and tested, until none remain among you save the fewest”—then He made His palm small.

Part 6: “And there is no doubt that trials shall…”

And there is no doubt that trials shall not appear until people curse one another and disavow one another, as is clearly stated in His words, exalted be His glory:

“The matter which you await shall not be until some of you disavow others, and some spit in the faces of others, and until some curse others, and some call others liars.”

God and His chosen ones have spoken truly. I complain of my grief and sorrow to God, and I am innocent of the polytheists. There is no doubt that in this trial God’s Cause is clearer than the sun at high noon, otherwise God’s proof would not be complete upon His servants.

And by every proof that people use to establish the existence of the Imams, they establish the existence of an emissary from the Proof who held in his hands evidence from his Master that none could match. And there is no doubt that in the Greater Occultation, whoever claims to have seen him claiming to be the Gate, his claim is false, as was clearly stated in that sublime directive from that Holy and Elevated One which shone forth from the eastern direction to the fourth of the four gates, Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri:

“Hear—may God increase the reward of your brethren through you—you shall die within six days. So gather your affairs and do not appoint anyone to take your place after your death, for the complete Occultation has begun. There shall be no appearance except by God’s permission, exalted be His mention, and that shall be after a long time when hearts have hardened, when the earth is filled with oppression. There will come from among my followers those who claim direct witness—but whosoever claims direct witness before the appearance of the Sufyani and the Call is a lying impostor. There is no power nor might save in God, the Exalted, the Great.”

Yet there is no doubt that he—may my spirit be his sacrifice—has deputies on earth and nobles in authority. But by the evidence of wisdom and the nullification of gaps and the avoidance of sudden leaps, these close ones must necessarily return to a single soul who was the bearer of universal grace, specific ordinances, holy attributes and new subsidiary matters. Today there is no doubt that some of the learned claim this station, and there is no question that the world has not abandoned the virtuous when his virtue becomes apparent. There is no doubt that in every age there must be one who excels all others. By the proof that negates any gap in divine unity, the following of the lower is nullified unless the higher is recognized. Otherwise the earth would surely not be devoid of an ambassador standing by God’s command, to whom the elevated returns and whom the follower joins—one who serves as the balance of justice, able to answer all the world’s scholars if he wishes and nullify the work of the negligent.

When doubt arises in religion, he can dispel it with decisive proofs, firm evidence, clear verses and established signs, such that people need nothing else and doubt nothing. Those scholars whom the Imam commanded to follow and learn from, whose denial he made equivalent to denying God and whose obedience he made equivalent to obeying God—these are upon truth when they follow that single soul, for pure truth appears at the time of proof only through a single soul. The mystery in reality was thus, as the philosophers maintained regarding the origin of abstraction—that from the One proceeds only one. This is evident by the wisdom through which truth is established by truth and falsehood is nullified by truth, as is witnessed by one such as yourself, with no need to mention proofs or evidence against independence.

One such as yourself, possessed of proofs from among the people of wisdom and discourse, knows that in mentioning these allusions I intended only God’s decree in the world of names and attributes. By your life, if you were certain of the mystery of majesty, witnessed the decrees of the Day of Reckoning, turned away from those who seek mere words and arguments, and became aware of what decree has befallen me from the Lord of Glory and Beauty, you would sigh deeply for my sake and weep for God’s good pleasure over one imprisoned in his house without sin or dispute.

Lord, had I been patient in the presence of the might of Your Medina it would have been from my weakness, but with one like You being all-powerful, I did not remain patient. Your dominion and decree confined me. No, by Your might, despite my weakness, were I not to witness Your deed I could neither be patient nor have any power therein. But when I knew that time had decreed paradise in this world for one who denies Thee, and for one who believes in Thee two dates sweeter than I desire—I seek only Thy good pleasure and see no glory except in praising Thee by night and by day, and abasement only in disobeying Thee when Thou hast ordained Thy decree.

Through Thee, O my God, I am content with all besides Thee, and I desire naught save what Thou hast desired for me. Indeed, Thy knowledge of my contentment in remembering Thee is dearer to me than the dominion of both worlds. Thou knowest that in all conditions I fear Thy justice. And how should I not fear, when if Thou didst will to chastise me with all Thy punishments eternally, without end, by the perpetuity of Thine Essence, I would still deserve it even in my good deeds? Thou art praised in Thy deeds, obeyed in Thy command, and sovereign in Thy dominion.

For my very profession of Thy oneness is before Thee the greatest sin, since it derives from my existence. Sufficient is it as my sin that I should make mention of my existence before the dawning of Thy countenance, the majesty of Thy being, the beauty of Thine essence, the glory of Thy self-subsistence, the praise of Thy nature, the power of Thy reality, the encompassing nature of Thy mercy, the justice of Thy oneness, and the grace of Thy might. Glorified art Thou, glorified art Thou! I confess my sin even as Thy knowledge encompasseth all things, and I seek Thy forgiveness and turn unto Thee. Verily, Thou art the Munificent, the Merciful.

When thou hast understood what I have confessed before God, thou wilt surely know that all people have falsely accused me, even while they imagine themselves to be guided. Should anyone today claim authority beyond the authority of the Qur’an, or make statements outside the paths of the people of the Bayan, none should consider such a one human. Rather, it is incumbent upon all to choose for themselves what God hath chosen for them and what He hath pronounced in His judgment before He manifested it through ’Ali, peace be upon him, in his hidden sermons, then in the “Speechless Sermon” with its strange allusions and beautiful intimations.

If man were to be fair before God, he would not need mention of proof and evidence, for he who came with the command of the Glorious One, were he to change a decree, would need to present proof, and since he confirmed what all the true sect believed, nothing is required of him while all are obliged to derive their paths of knowledge from the Tree that speaketh in his breast. For the knowledge of people today containeth all contradictions and embraceth all opposing views, but he whom God hath taught the knowledge of the Bayan from His presence—his judgment floweth not as floweth the judgment in the sciences of all. This indeed is the evidence for those who gaze upon the throne of holiness and majesty.

In thy present state, these proofs benefit thee not unless thou effacest from around thy heart the paths of reasoning from all sources, for there is no end to matters of knowledge, and no limit to the ways of reasoning. This is in regard to when thou makest the balance in forms of knowledge, but when thou makest the balance the mystery of divinity, the manifestation of eternality, and the resplendent, shining verses that gleamed from the Morn of Eternity, the veils shall be lifted from thee and nothing shall withhold thee from the scrolls.

In these words, I desired naught for thee save the rending of veils, that the raptures of holiness and the breaths of justice might establish thee at the summit of grace and attributes. And when thou didst mention before, in the depths of allusion, the interpretation of the first letter of thy book, I mention an aspect from the forms of the knowledge of the Bayan: that the letter Ha is the spirit of the letter. The ultimate purpose of the servant’s remembrance of the Beloved is like unto the letter which is the red elixir among letters, purifying all words, symbols, signs and allusions. Through it is established the unity of God and negated the law of multiplicity. The people of understanding, since they can know naught of that realm save through what is here, deduce through this letter in all the worlds. It completes the numerical value of the Word than which God hath revealed none lighter in the Qur’an, and it is identical with it in the world of manifestation.

The inmost reality of that Word is completed because the origin of all letters is the Point, and when the Point was divided it became an Alif, and when the Alif bowed before its Lord it became the letter Ba itself, hence the Point was found beneath it. That Word was naught but an Alif between two Bas, and it is a sign of God’s command between two Names. Should one of insight contemplate the reality of that Word, he would know what no one else has conceived.

Therefore God hath not assigned to that Word, as with other words, a half, third or quarter, for it is the manifestation of the light of the Divine Eternality from which nothing emerges. God hath ordained the Fifth (Khums) for wisdom, and due to the glory of the numerical value of that Word, He hath attributed it to Himself. God hath created within that Word matters which none can comprehend save whom He willeth. Among these is that He made two letters in that Word from the dark letters, lest people become confused about the law of unity except in the station of the Alif in its state of oneness, for it is from the luminous letters. Glory be to God, how great is His power and how mighty His proof!

Should you open the door of the knowledge of letters in that Word, you would discover from the lights of the heaven of Divinity, the effulgences of the Throne of Might, and the fragrances of the heaven of sovereignty and dominion that which no limited knowledge can encompass. For the spirit in words is like the spirit in bodies, and between them is an essential relationship when considering their essences and accidents, and pure severance when describing God, the Lord of all names and attributes. For names have infinite ranks, and the named of all things is in its own rank.

Behold the spirit of the people of God and their bodies, then look at their words. Though all may utter the word ‘justice’, when God, exalted be His mention, speaks it, it is that justice which was the source of justice’s existence in the Divine Will. When it descends from on high it indicates the named, hence it is written in the Law that none shall touch it save the purified ones. Were all to gather to produce the like of this form of justice, they could not, for what they bring forth from the letters ’ayn, dal and lam is but its body at their rank, while its spirit is non-existent compared to the justice which God hath brought forth for Himself.

Likewise is the decree of justice uttered by the Messenger of God, for its spirit was from His spirit and its utterance from His body. Were all to gather to speak like the word spoken by the Messenger of God, they could not, for its spirit was at His station and its body like unto His, yet most people know not and are powerless.

Such is the decree in every series of eight, for the word ‘justice’ spoken of by the Gates is its spirit, while its body was in their station. Neither its body nor its spirit can attain to the Word uttered by him who dwelt in the realm of inner meanings, and likewise he who dwelt in the realm of inner meanings in relation to him who spoke in the Bayan from the All-Merciful.

Observe all the letters as you observe people, and recognize the words of the Imams, the Pillars, the Chiefs, and the Nobles just as they have been distilled from the Ocean of Glory upon those signs from the vast sea of majesty. Through knowledge of that station, one recognizes the miracle of the Qur’an and the paths of the people of the Bayan and exposition from among the people of vision.

Most people are dead in the knowledge of that station, as they recognize and hear all words through similar forms, and that is pure polytheism in the religion of the Family of God. For God said “Verily I am He,” which indicates His eternity, and that Word in letters is the primordial essence of letters. Nothing resembles Him in the heavens or on earth, and all who uttered that Word did not attain to His presence in what God said, for words are like bodies.

Just as no one can be like the body of the Imam, peace be upon him, no letter can be like the letters spoken by the Family of God in the Bayan, even if the forms appear similar in shape. Rather, it is as I have imparted to you—all are in human form, but the Imam is the most abstract form and the divine light that calls from its essence to its essence, proclaims divinity, and speaks from the realm of might. Such is the decree regarding letters.

By thy Lord, the Lord of the heavens and earth, were all to gather to produce the like of an alif that came from ’Ali, peace be upon him, in letters, they would be powerless. Nay, the alif they produce has no existence in the presence of His alif. Thus do you recognize all deeds, conditions, letters and signs in the series of eight.

Today, were people to gather to produce the like of a single letter of what was written in that Tablet, they could not, for he who brought it—his spirit and body were in his station, and he through whom I spoke—his spirit and body were in the station of one whom God aided through His grace.

Through knowledge of these details, the witness recognizes the greatness of the words of the Family of God and their followers, for they were like their bodies which no creation resembled and no mention equaled. So glory be to God, the Lord of the Throne, above what the speakers describe. He is beyond what the mystics know and independent of what people do. Peace be upon the Messengers, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.