Fusus al-Hikam The Seals of Wisdom by Shaykh al ... - ImagoMundi

Allah does not leave it by the difference of forms. In regard to the Divine Unity of His
being, the shadow is Allah, because He is the One, the Unique; and in respect to the
multiplicity of forms, it is the world, so understand and realise what I have explained to
you! Since the matter is as I mentioned, the universe is illusory, and it does not have a
real existence. This is the meaning of the imagination, that is, you imagine that the
universe is an autonomous extra thing outside of Allah. It is not like that in itself. Do
you not see that in the senses, the shadow is connected to the person who projects it, and
it is impossible that it be detached from that connection since it is impossible for
something to be detached from its own essence? Recognise your source ('ayn), and who
you are, what is your he-ness and what your relation to Allah is, and by what You are
the Truth and by what you are the universe, "other", and whatever resembles these
expressions. In this, those that know vie in excellence, so there is the one who knows
and the one who is more knowing.
The Real is, in relation to a particular shadow, small or large, pure or more pure, as light
is in relation to what veils it from the onlooker through coloured glass which tints it. At
the same time, it has no colour, and so you see it as making a mirror-image of your
reality to your Lord. If you say that the light is green by the greenness of the glass, you
will have spoken the truth as your sensory vision testifies. If you say that it is not green
and has no colour as evidence accords you, you will have spoken the truth as sound
logical consideration testifies. This is light projected across the shadow, and it is the
same as the glass which is a luminous shadow because of its purity. It is the same for
one of us who has realised the Real. His form manifests itself in him more than it
manifests itself in another. Among us there is the one for whom Allah is his hearing,
seeing, and all his faculties and limbs, (3) according to the signs which the Shari'a gives
in a transmission from Allah. In spite of this, the source of the shadow exists, so the
pronoun of "his hearing" refers to him. Other slaves are not like this. The relation of this
slave is nearer to the existence of Allah than the relation of other slaves.
Then the matter is as we have confirmed. So know that you are imagination and that
which you perceive and of which you say, "It is not me" is also imagination. All of
existence is imagination within imagination. True existence is Allah, the Real, in
particular in respect to essence and source, not in respect to His Names, because the
Names have two meanings. One meaning is His source which is the same as the
"Named", and the other meaning is what it indicates and that by which the Name is
separate from this other Name, and so distinct. The Ever-Forgiving is separate from the
Manifest and the Hidden, and the First is distinct from the Last. Thus it is clear to you
that each Name is the same as the other Name, and yet it is not the other Name.
Inasmuch as the Name is the same, it is the Real, and inasmuch as it is not it, it is the
imaginary Real which we discussed.
Glory be to the One who is only proven by Himself and Whose being is only confirmed
by His source! The Hidden is pure non-existence, so whoever holds to multiplicity,
holds to the universe and the Divine Names and the names of the world. Whoever holds
to Divine Unity holds to Allah in respect to His Essence which is independent of the
universe, not in respect to its divinity and form. If the Essence is independent of the
universe, then He is the source of its independence from the ascriptions of the Names,
because it has the Names, and they indicated it as they indicate other named things in
which their effect is realised. "Say: He is Allah, Absolute Oneness" (112:1) in respect of
his source, "Allah, the Everlasting Sustainer of all" in respect to our dependence on