not issue from itself but rather from an Infinite Source. He will then
know that all thisbeauty andugliness, allthese creaturesof the earth
andtheheavens,whichappearoutwardlyasindependentrealities,gain
realityonlythroughanotherRealityandaremanifestedonlyinItsLight,
not by themselves and through themselves.In the same way that the
“realities”aswellasthepowerandgrandeurofyesterdayhavenogreat-
ervaluethantalesandlegendsoftoday,soarethe“realities”oftodayno
more as “reality” tomorrow.
Inthe lastanalysis, everything in itselfis nomore thanatale anda
dream.OnlyGodisRealityintheabsolutesense,theOneWhodoesnot
perish.UndertheprotectionofHisBeing,everythinggainsexistenceand
becomes manifested through the Light of His Essence.
If manbecomes endowed with suchvision andpower of apprehen-
sion, thenthe tentof his separativeexistence willfalldown beforehis
eyeslikeabubbleonthesurfaceofwater.Hewillseewithhiseyesthat
the worldandall thatisin itdependuponanInfinite Beingwho pos-
sesseslife,power,knowledgeandeveryperfectiontoaninfinitedegree.
Man and every other being in the world are like so many windows
which display according to their capacity the world of eternity which
transcends them and lies beyond them.
Itisatthismomentthatmantakesfromhimselfandallcreaturesthe
qualityofindependenceandprimacyandreturnsthesequalitiestotheir
Owner.He detacheshimself fromall thingsto attach himselfsolely to
theOneGod.BeforeHisMajestyandGrandeurhedoesnothingbutbow
inhumility.Onlythendoeshebecome guidedanddirectedbyGodso
thatwhateverheknowsheknowsinGod.ThroughDivineguidancehe
becomesadornedwithmoralandspiritualvirtueandpureactionswhich
arethesameasIslamitself,thesubmissiontoGod,thereligionthatisin
the primordial nature of things.
Thisisthehighestdegreeof humanperfectionandthe stationofthe
perfect man(the Universal Man;insān-e kāmil), namely the Imam who
has reached this rank through Divine grace. Furthermore, those who
havereachedthisstationthroughthepracticeofspiritualmethods,with
thedifferentranksandstationsthattheypossess,arethe truefollowers
oftheImam.ThusitbecomesclearthattheknowledgeofGodandofthe
Imam are inseparable in the same way that the knowledge of God is