knowledge, sight, and hearing.
Yet one whose witnessing and tasting are this cannot conceivably have thought concerning anything at all. He is only with what is revealed to him, through the differing kinds of revelation.
One kind of revelation is understanding from God, initially and without reflection. If he is given understanding through reflection, he is not that man, for understanding from thought is correct at one time and mistaken at another.
Understanding without thought is sound, explicit revelation from God to His servant. The prophets' tasting of this revelation, peace be upon them, exceeds the saints' tasting. One who receives the more particular within the more general attains the general. One who receives the general, within which the particular is not individually determined, does not attain the tasting of the particular within it.
Although it is contained within it, it has no ruling in tasting, even though it has a ruling within the whole. He cannot distinguish it. “God speaks the truth, and He guides the way” [al-Aḥzāb 33:4].
Chapter Four Hundred and Twenty-Six: On Knowing the Mutual Encounter of the Secret from Which the Messenger of God, God's blessings and peace be upon him, Spoke When Asked about Seeing His Lord: “Did You See Your Lord on the Night Journey?” He Answered, “Light—How Can I See Him?”[42]
Notes
[42]
(The written form in the previous copy was “nūr innī arāhu” [Light, I see Him]; it has been corrected to “nūr annā arāhu” [Light—how can I see Him?] by comparison with the new edition [vol. 10, p. 244].)
