34:46 Say: “I admonish you in but one thing: that you stand up for God.”
It is said that standing up for God is the center point of the compass of the Tariqah and the pivot of the secrets of the Haqiqah. Whoever leaves self-governance behind and places his work with the Real will reap the fruit of the goodly life [16:97]. Do you not see that the chevaliers who were the Companions of the Cave left themselves behind, put aside self-governance, and turned their faces toward the threshold of Lordhood, as the Exalted Lord says: “We placed a tie on their hearts when they stood up” [18:14]. Look how He gave them a place in the cave of jealousy with the shade of kind favor and the embrace of friendship. The sunlight of form and its shining had not the gall to circle around their cave of jealousy. The light of the sun was incapable in relation to the lights of their secret cores, for the light of the sun is for brightening creation, and the lights of their secret cores were for recognizing the Real.
Let go of the moons, dimming or brightening—
we have a full moon to which all full moons are abased.
The light of the sun is the light of form, and the light of their hearts was the light of the secret core. When the radiance of the sunlight of form reached them, it pulled back its skirt from the shining radiance of their secret core’s light. The Lord of the Worlds says, “Thou wouldst have thought them awake, but they were sleeping” [18:18]. This is the attribute of the Folk of the Tariqah. When you look at their outwardness, you see them busy in the playing fields of deeds. When you look at their secret cores, you see them detached in the gardens of the gentleness of the Possessor of Majesty.
Outwardly active, inwardly they gaze on the gentleness of the Beginningless. With Thee alone we worship [1:5] they have bound the belt of struggle. With and Thee alone we ask for help [1:5] they have placed the crown of contemplation on their heads. On the inside, they wear the undershirt of surrender, and on the outside, they have covered themselves with the caftan of deeds. Singling out the Companions of the Cave is the clearest evidence and the most lucid path to show that chosenness has no cause and being specified is not achieved by any means. A dog that took a few steps in the tracks of the Real’s friends will be read about until the Resurrection: And their dog was stretching its paws at the doorstep [18:18]. So, when a Muslim becomes the companion of the Real’s friends for seventy years, with burning and faith, and he takes the blackness of youth to the whiteness of old age, why do you have the opinion that the Real will make him despair on the Day of Resurrection? No, never, He will not do that.
34:49 Say: “The truth has come, and falsehood does not originate, nor make a return.”
On the day God’s Messenger put his blessed foot inside the Kaaba—when ʿUmar Khaṭṭāb had arrived at the exaltedness of submission, and the faithful were happy at his submission, though he had placed many idols inside the Kaaba—the Messenger had a stick in his hand with which he was striking the chests of the idols, saying, “The truth has come and falsehood has vanished away [17:81].
O chevalier! Which day will it be when the messenger of realization along with the ʿUmar of assent enters the Kaaba of your breast at the instruction of success-giving? It will topple the idols of caprice and avarice, and they will call out, “The truth has come, and falsehood does not originate, nor make a return.”
“So the sorcerers were cast down in prostration [7:120]. What do you say? Did they come and prostrate themselves? Or did We bring them into prostration?”
A serving boy was walking with his master. The boy went into a mosque, said his prayers, and remained for a long time in the pleasure of whispered prayer. The master said, “Come out, boy!”
He said, “He won’t let me.”
He said, “Who won’t let you come out?”
He said, “The same one who won’t let you come in.”
It is no wonder that a hearing, speaking, knowing person should prostrate himself. The wonder is that, “O unhearing, unspeaking idols, if Muḥammad’s religion is the truth, prostrate yourselves.”
O pure Lord! Two improper, ugly things were placed before ʿUmar’s past to submission: enmity toward the Messenger and coveting this world. Then there appeared such a beautiful state from their midst, for ʿUmar was adorned with the ornament of submission. In the same way, two improper things were placed before Pharaoh’s sorcerers: one enmity toward Moses and the other Pharaoh’s rulership. Then from the midst, an exalted secret appeared, so the sorcerers were cast down in prostration. Two arduous tribulations were placed before Joseph: one the well and the other the prison. Then from their midst Joseph’s rulership and ruling authority appeared: Thus did We establish Joseph in the earth [12:56]. Two feeble drops were brought together in the womb. Then from their midst, such a lovely form appeared: And He formed you, so He made your forms beautiful [40:64]. Two impurities were brought together in the makeup of the animal, one feces and the other blood. Then from their midst pure milk appeared: between feces and blood, pure milk [16:66]. Two difficult tasks were combined for the servant: one disobedience, the other shortcoming in obedience. Then from their midst mercy and forgiveness appeared: He will make your deeds wholesome for you and forgive you your sins [33:71].
