The Book of Wisdom Chapter XXIII

And he said (May Allah be pleased with him):

213. Your union with Allah is union through knowledge of Him (al-‘ilmu bihi). Otherwise, Allah is beyond being united with anything or anything being united with Him.

214. Your nearness (qurb) to Him is that you contemplate His nearness. Otherwise, what comparison is there between you and the existence of His nearness?

215. The inner realities (al-haqaaiq) arrive synthetically (mujmala) in the state of illumination (at-tajallee), while their explanation (al-bayaan) comes after retention (al-wa’y). “So when We recite it, follow its recitation. Again on Us rests the explaining of it.” [Quran 75: 18-19]

216. When divine inspirations come upon you, they demolish your habits. “Surely the kings, when they enter a town, ruin it.” [Quran 27:34]

217. The inspiration comes from the Presence of the Omnipotent. As a result, nothing opposes it without being smashed to bits. “Nay, but We hurl the Truth against falsehood, and it prevails against it, and lo! falsehood vanishes.” [Quran 21:18]

218. How can Allah (al-Haqq) be veiled by something, for He is apparent (dhaahir) and has actual being (mawjood haadir) in that wherewith He is veiled?

219. Do not lose hope in the acceptance of an act of yours wherein you found no awareness of the Divine Presence. Sometimes He accepts an act the fruit of which you have not perceived right away.

220. Do not attest to the validity of an inspiration (waarid) whose fruits you know not. The purpose of rain clouds is not to give rain; their only purpose is to bring forth fruit.

221. After the lights of inspiration have rayed out and their mysteries have been deposited, do not seek their continuance, for you have in Allah one who enables you to dispense with everything; but nothing enables you to dispense with Allah.

222. The proof that you have not found Him is that you strive for the permanency of what is other than He, and the proof that you are not united to Him is that you feel estranged at the loss of what is other than He.

Chapter XXIV, next