The Book of Wisdom Chapter XVII
And he said (May Allah be pleased with him):
156. Glory be to Him who has not made any sign leading to His saints save as a sign leading to Himself, and who has joined no one to them except him whom Allah wants to join to Himself.
157. Sometimes He reveals to you the invisible domain of His Realm but veils you from knowing the secrets of servants.
158. Whoever gets to know the secrets of servants without patterning himself on the divine mercifulness (ar-rahman al-ilaahiyyah), finds his knowledge a tribulation (fitna) and a cause for drawing evil (al-wabaal) upon himself.
159. The egos share in disobedience is outwardly clear (dhaahir jalee) while its share in obedience is inwardly hidden (baatin khafee). To cure what is hidden is hard indeed?
160. Sometimes ostentation (ar-riyaa’) penetrates you in such a way that no one notices it.
161. Your desire that people know your particular distinction (khusoosiyya) is a proof of insincerity in your servanthood (‘uboodiyya).
162. Make mankind’s looking at you disappear by being content with Allah’s looking at you! Slip away from their approach to you by contemplating His approach to you!
163. He who knows Allah (al-Haqq) contemplates Him in everything. He who is extinguished by Him is absent froM everything. He who loves Him prefers nothing to Him.
164. Only His extreme nearness (shiddatu qurbih) to you is what veils Allah (al-Haqq) from you.
165. Only because of the intensity of His manifestation (shiddatu dhuhoorihi) is He veiled, and only because of the sublimity of His light is He hidden from view.