BB00342: Fi’s-Sighari va’l-Kibar

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

Glory be to Him Who creates whatsoever is in the heavens and on earth by His command. Then those who believe in God and His signs—these are they who shall be gathered unto God. And now, in this thy letter I bear witness that there is no God but God, alone with no partner, even as His Essence hath testified to His Essence, and He is sanctified above any likeness to His servants. There is no God but He, the Mighty, the Wise. And I bear witness unto Muhammad, peace be upon Him, even as God hath borne witness unto Him in the knowledge of the unseen, wherein He made Him unique among the children of mankind in the worlds of His command and creation, for verily He cannot be compared to what His servants have devised, nor can the highest essences of the hearts of His loved ones comprehend Him.

He graspeth all vision, and He is the All-Subtle, the All-Informed. And I bear witness unto the successors of Muhammad, peace be upon Him, even as God hath borne witness unto them in the essence of the Divine Being and the essence of the attributes. Verily, there is no God but He, the Mighty, the Exalted. And I bear witness unto myself according to what God hath willed and desired and ordained for me. Verily creation is in His hand, then He causeth it to return, then all shall return unto Him.

To continue: O thou Abdul-Wahhab! Thou hast known what thou hast composed regarding the excellence of the Gates, and that is indeed the decisive word concerning the beginning and the return. Know thou, regarding what thou hast asked about the conditions in my youth and manifestations in my maturity, that by the decree of limitation none can know what lieth beyond the decree of limitation, for every condition hath infinite conditions within its rank, and every manifestation hath infinite manifestations within itself. It sufficeth in describing the Divine Essence to refrain from interfering in the pure countenance of affirmation, and in describing the attributes what He said in His intimate communion with the Lord of Names and Attributes:

“O my God! If Thou shouldst punish me through the eternity of Thy Essence as requital for my mention of Thy Self—then by Thy might and Thy majesty, and there is no power nor strength save through Thy Will, I would deserve that, and unto Thee be praise in Thy deed and obedience in Thy decree. I say not why’ or wherefore’ or how’ or where’, for Thou art God, the Powerful, the Doer of what He willeth, the Wise.”

And in mentioning the state, His words:

“O my God! Thou art Thou—I have known Thee not through other than Thee. Thou art Thou—I have loved Thee not through other than Thee. Thou art Thou—I have desired Thee not through other than Thee. Glory be unto Thee! If I should mention the remembrance of love for myself rather than Thy Self, then there would be a veil between me and Thee. Nay, by Thy might, I say Thou art Thou, and even if Thou shouldst punish me for this with all Thy vengeance as requital, I would be content with it through Thy might and Thy power, and I say: Thou art Thou. Glory be to Thy Lord, the Lord of might, above what they describe.”

And in mentioning deeds, His words:

“O my God! My very existence is a sin, so how then when I commit another sin? My Lord, I know that were I to perform for Thee every deed encompassed by Thy knowledge, I would not have remembered Thee as Thou hast remembered me, nor would I have known Thee as Thou hast made Thyself known to me. And if Thou shouldst punish me after that, then unto Thee is the power of origination regarding me, and I shall never deny Thy justice. And if I should disobey Thee with every sin encompassed by Thy knowledge, as I have disobeyed Thee with the like thereof, and what Thou art able to multiply upon it from the numbers by Thy knowledge’s encompassing of it… still I hope for Thy grace and maintain good thoughts of the sovereignty of Thy mercy, Thy pardon and Thy concealment. I fear nothing, for unto Thee is the power of origination—Thou doest what Thou willest as Thou willest. None can repel Thy command nor reverse Thy word. O God! Bestow Thy blessings upon Muhammad and his family, the best of Thy servants. Verily Thou art God, the Generous, the Bestower.”

This is a mention from the four verses concerning myself. And if thou desirest mention of the all-encompassing, the lofty mosque, the towering might and the exalted praise, then remove from the first letter the ayn, and from the last letter the dal, and from the other letter the ʿmim’, for it is from the hidden and a wise decree. And fill the tablets of thy book with that decree, for I have taken from the Greatest Name, and it is indeed a mighty oath, did ye but know. It is indeed a treasured Qur’an which none touch save the purified ones. Glory be to thy Lord, the Lord of might, above what they describe. And peace be upon the Messengers, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.