LETTER 1: BELIEF IN THE UNITY OF GOD

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate!

May the bounty of God be upon you, my brother Shamsuddin, both

in this world and the next! It should be known, at the very beginning,! that belief in the unity of God can be divided into four stages.”

In the first of these a person proclaims ‘There is no god but God!”

(Q47:19)5 but his heart is devoid of faith. Such belief is hypocrisy and

will prove profitless in the next life. In the second stage a person both

proclaims ‘“There is no god but God!” and believes in his heart that

this is so. This type of belief can be either conventional—as is true for

ordinary people—or supported by rational proofs—as is the case of

the learned. This is the way belief normally manifests itself. In truth

it can be said: Come, open your eyes and see that each particle of dust,

if you look carefully, contains a world-revealing cup. Sufis say that

such faith prevents people from falling into crass polytheism and

saves them from languishing eternally in hell. It also ensures entrance

into paradise. Although this type of belief is more beneficial and enduring than the first, there is still an element of instability about it.

The highest form of belief is for you, my friend, not this, which is fit

for old women!

The third stage is said to be reached when a person’s soul is illuminated in such a way that he is able to perceive every action flowing

from a single source and deriving from a single agent. This firm belief is different from the faith of common people and the faith of the

learned, both of which are constricted. This elevates the heart. It is

the contemplation of a light that effaces creatures! There is a similar

difference between the person who believes that a certain gentleman

is in an inn because somebody told him (just as the person of conventional faith inherits what he believes from his father or mother or

someone else) and the person who, upon seeing the gentleman’s horse

and servants at the door of the inn, infers that the owner himself

must be inside. This is the view and belief of the learned, but it contains a great amount of imitation. From the vantage point of someone

who has actually seen the man, however, both beliefs are on the same

footing; that is, they are equally defective. A believer who has attained the third stage is like the man who actually sees the gentleman

in the inn. He is a Sufi who, in this stage, sees creatures and experiences the Creator, in the sense that he perceives that they all come from Him. This very discrimination, however, indicates that the state

of complete unification has not yet been attained.

Sufi masters are of the opinion that, in the fourth stage, such a

surfeit of the dazzling divine light becomes manifest to the pilgrim

that every single existing particle that lies within his vision becomes

concealed in the very luster of that light just as particles in the air are

lost to sight on account of the brightness of the light emanating from

the sun. This occurs not because the particles have ceased to exist but

rather because the intensity of the sunlight makes it impossible that

anything other than this concealment should result. In the same way,

it is not true that a person becomes God—for God is infinitely greater

than any man—nor has the person really ceased to exist, for ceasing

to exist is one thing, and becoming lost to view quite another!4

Before your Unique Being, there is neither old nor new:

Everything is nothing, nothing:at all! Yet He is what He is.

How then can we remain separate from You?

When “I” and the “You” have passed away, God alone will remain! }

When you look into a mirror you do not see the mirror for the

simple reason that your attention has become riveted on your own

handsome reflection. You would not, however, go on to say that the

mirror has ceased to exist, or that it has become beautiful, or that

beauty has become a mirror. In a similar fashion, one can contemplate God’s almighty power in the whole gamut of creation, without

any distinction. Sufis describe this state as that of being entirely lost

to oneself in contemplation of the Unique Being!

A person who attains such a blessed state says:

“His very brilliance blinds me to whatever descends!”

Many have lost their balance here; for without the ever-present

help of God’s grace and favor, as well as the assistance of a spiritual

guide, no one can traverse this wilderness. The guide should be a person who has passed through the ups and downs of the Way and tasted

the unique sweetness of his all-demanding Majesty, as well as the

pleasure of his intoxicating Beauty, and himself have attained enlightenment. This is the meaning of the following story. One day, Mansur Al-Hallaj> saw a famous Sufi, Ibrahim,¢ wandering about in a wilderness. He inquired what he was about. “I am treading the path that

leads to perfect trust in God,” he replied. Mansur exclaimed, “‘If your whole life were to be passed in doing justice to this stage of trusting

in God, then how would you ever reach that of being lost in divine

contemplation?” It has been noted that fostering any sort of desire is

really a waste of time, since it will be but a hindrance to contemplation.

Some people are admitted into the royal Presence for an hour a

week; others, for an hour or two a day; while yet others are absorbed

in divine contemplation for the great part of their time. Beyond these

four stages is one known as “losing consciousness of being lost in di-

vine contemplation.” This is due to the total absorption of the under-

standing of the pilgrim, which leads him to forget himself altogether,

in the heightened awareness of the King who is unsurpassable in

beauty and power! In an instant, the pilgrim is himself borne off to

the concealment of nothingness! Everything slips away from him for,

if he were to know anything else, then, in the opinion of Sufis, it

would be a sign of the distinction between seeing God apart from creation and seeing creation rooted in God! Hence we can understand

how a person can lose sight of both himself and the entire creation in

the dazzling light of God! The last vestige of self-awareness is itself

lost in the rapture of this union.”

When you lose yourself in God, you proclaim the divine Unity.

Lose the sense of “being lost’—that is complete detachment!

Hence it is that he forgets himself and the entire creation on ac-

count of this dazzling divine light. On account of this forgetfulness,

all awareness of self is lost. There is no calling upon the name or observance of customs; awareness of whether one exists or not; explanation, allusion, or divine throne! In this world, all things pass away

(Q55:26). There is no splendor except at this stage. Here, “‘everything

perishes except His essence” (Q28:88). Here alone is God actually

seen face to face. Apart from here, one finds no trace of the Truth! “I

am the Holy One!” The absolutely unhampered realization of the

Unique Being occurs only in this stage.

Do not delude yourself, instead remember,

Not everyone who gets lost in God becomes God!

Consider an example from the world around us: the nut consists

of (1) the outer shell, (2) the inner skin, (3) the kernel, and (4) the essence of the kernel itself, its oil. All four constitute the nut, but each

is different in its importance and possible uses, as anyone can easily see. In a similar fashion all the aforementioned refer to belief in di-

vine Unity, although in degrees, fruits, benefits, and gains there are

thousands of distinctions. This letter should be given careful, detailed

consideration, for it will be found to be the foundation of all stages,

states, activities, and ecstatic phenomena. It will also help the reader

to understand the sayings and allusions of religious leaders, when he

peruses their writings, for that is what God is like. They will not fall

into error. Also, it can throw light upon the foundation and lawful-

ness of verses dealing with divine Unity and its various degrees, a

matter in which one and all can be deceived and in which contradictions may arise.

Brother, you are now but an ant, yet you can become a Solomon.

Do not be preoccupied with your sinfulness. Though you might now

be fainthearted, you can develop great courage. Do not lay stress on

your present impure and mean condition, but rather on what it is

possible for you to achieve. For many jong years there have been followers of the Way. Consider Adam; he came from mud and water.

Though an orphan raised by Abu Talib, Muhammad became the messenger of God. From Azar the idol-maker came Abraham, the Friend

of God. Consider also how polytheists have become monotheists; un-

believers, believers; sinners, followers of the Way, and mischief-makers, peacemakers!* Neither is God’s might dependent cn man’s obedience, nor is His Grace determined by man’s sin. [A conversion story

follows. |

Peace!

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate!

May the bounty of God be upon you, my brother Shamsuddin, both

in this world and the next! It should be known, at the very beginning,! that belief in the unity of God can be divided into four stages.”

In the first of these a person proclaims ‘There is no god but God!”

(Q47:19)5 but his heart is devoid of faith. Such belief is hypocrisy and

will prove profitless in the next life. In the second stage a person both

proclaims ‘“There is no god but God!” and believes in his heart that

this is so. This type of belief can be either conventional—as is true for

ordinary people—or supported by rational proofs—as is the case of

the learned. This is the way belief normally manifests itself. In truth

it can be said: Come, open your eyes and see that each particle of dust,

if you look carefully, contains a world-revealing cup. Sufis say that

such faith prevents people from falling into crass polytheism and

saves them from languishing eternally in hell. It also ensures entrance

into paradise. Although this type of belief is more beneficial and enduring than the first, there is still an element of instability about it.

The highest form of belief is for you, my friend, not this, which is fit

for old women!

The third stage is said to be reached when a person’s soul is illuminated in such a way that he is able to perceive every action flowing

from a single source and deriving from a single agent. This firm belief is different from the faith of common people and the faith of the

learned, both of which are constricted. This elevates the heart. It is

the contemplation of a light that effaces creatures! There is a similar

difference between the person who believes that a certain gentleman

is in an inn because somebody told him (just as the person of conventional faith inherits what he believes from his father or mother or

someone else) and the person who, upon seeing the gentleman’s horse

and servants at the door of the inn, infers that the owner himself

must be inside. This is the view and belief of the learned, but it contains a great amount of imitation. From the vantage point of someone

who has actually seen the man, however, both beliefs are on the same

footing; that is, they are equally defective. A believer who has attained the third stage is like the man who actually sees the gentleman

in the inn. He is a Sufi who, in this stage, sees creatures and experiences the Creator, in the sense that he perceives that they all come from Him. This very discrimination, however, indicates that the state

of complete unification has not yet been attained.

Sufi masters are of the opinion that, in the fourth stage, such a

surfeit of the dazzling divine light becomes manifest to the pilgrim

that every single existing particle that lies within his vision becomes

concealed in the very luster of that light just as particles in the air are

lost to sight on account of the brightness of the light emanating from

the sun. This occurs not because the particles have ceased to exist but

rather because the intensity of the sunlight makes it impossible that

anything other than this concealment should result. In the same way,

it is not true that a person becomes God—for God is infinitely greater

than any man—nor has the person really ceased to exist, for ceasing

to exist is one thing, and becoming lost to view quite another!4

Before your Unique Being, there is neither old nor new:

Everything is nothing, nothing:at all! Yet He is what He is.

How then can we remain separate from You?

When “I” and the “You” have passed away, God alone will remain! }

When you look into a mirror you do not see the mirror for the

simple reason that your attention has become riveted on your own

handsome reflection. You would not, however, go on to say that the

mirror has ceased to exist, or that it has become beautiful, or that

beauty has become a mirror. In a similar fashion, one can contemplate God’s almighty power in the whole gamut of creation, without

any distinction. Sufis describe this state as that of being entirely lost

to oneself in contemplation of the Unique Being!

A person who attains such a blessed state says:

“His very brilliance blinds me to whatever descends!”

Many have lost their balance here; for without the ever-present

help of God’s grace and favor, as well as the assistance of a spiritual

guide, no one can traverse this wilderness. The guide should be a person who has passed through the ups and downs of the Way and tasted

the unique sweetness of his all-demanding Majesty, as well as the

pleasure of his intoxicating Beauty, and himself have attained enlightenment. This is the meaning of the following story. One day, Mansur Al-Hallaj> saw a famous Sufi, Ibrahim,¢ wandering about in a wilderness. He inquired what he was about. “I am treading the path that

leads to perfect trust in God,” he replied. Mansur exclaimed, “‘If your whole life were to be passed in doing justice to this stage of trusting

in God, then how would you ever reach that of being lost in divine

contemplation?” It has been noted that fostering any sort of desire is

really a waste of time, since it will be but a hindrance to contemplation.

Some people are admitted into the royal Presence for an hour a

week; others, for an hour or two a day; while yet others are absorbed

in divine contemplation for the great part of their time. Beyond these

four stages is one known as “losing consciousness of being lost in di-

vine contemplation.” This is due to the total absorption of the under-

standing of the pilgrim, which leads him to forget himself altogether,

in the heightened awareness of the King who is unsurpassable in

beauty and power! In an instant, the pilgrim is himself borne off to

the concealment of nothingness! Everything slips away from him for,

if he were to know anything else, then, in the opinion of Sufis, it

would be a sign of the distinction between seeing God apart from creation and seeing creation rooted in God! Hence we can understand

how a person can lose sight of both himself and the entire creation in

the dazzling light of God! The last vestige of self-awareness is itself

lost in the rapture of this union.”

When you lose yourself in God, you proclaim the divine Unity.

Lose the sense of “being lost’—that is complete detachment!

Hence it is that he forgets himself and the entire creation on ac-

count of this dazzling divine light. On account of this forgetfulness,

all awareness of self is lost. There is no calling upon the name or observance of customs; awareness of whether one exists or not; explanation, allusion, or divine throne! In this world, all things pass away

(Q55:26). There is no splendor except at this stage. Here, “‘everything

perishes except His essence” (Q28:88). Here alone is God actually

seen face to face. Apart from here, one finds no trace of the Truth! “I

am the Holy One!” The absolutely unhampered realization of the

Unique Being occurs only in this stage.

Do not delude yourself, instead remember,

Not everyone who gets lost in God becomes God!

Consider an example from the world around us: the nut consists

of (1) the outer shell, (2) the inner skin, (3) the kernel, and (4) the essence of the kernel itself, its oil. All four constitute the nut, but each

is different in its importance and possible uses, as anyone can easily see. In a similar fashion all the aforementioned refer to belief in di-

vine Unity, although in degrees, fruits, benefits, and gains there are

thousands of distinctions. This letter should be given careful, detailed

consideration, for it will be found to be the foundation of all stages,

states, activities, and ecstatic phenomena. It will also help the reader

to understand the sayings and allusions of religious leaders, when he

peruses their writings, for that is what God is like. They will not fall

into error. Also, it can throw light upon the foundation and lawful-

ness of verses dealing with divine Unity and its various degrees, a

matter in which one and all can be deceived and in which contradictions may arise.

Brother, you are now but an ant, yet you can become a Solomon.

Do not be preoccupied with your sinfulness. Though you might now

be fainthearted, you can develop great courage. Do not lay stress on

your present impure and mean condition, but rather on what it is

possible for you to achieve. For many jong years there have been followers of the Way. Consider Adam; he came from mud and water.

Though an orphan raised by Abu Talib, Muhammad became the messenger of God. From Azar the idol-maker came Abraham, the Friend

of God. Consider also how polytheists have become monotheists; un-

believers, believers; sinners, followers of the Way, and mischief-makers, peacemakers!* Neither is God’s might dependent cn man’s obedience, nor is His Grace determined by man’s sin. [A conversion story

follows. |

Peace!