676 ISLAMIC MYSTICAL LITERATURE
Praise and honor Muhammad and Ali,
the lord of angels and spirit, the glorified
and chosen one, and his governor as-Salsal^44
and Abu al-Hattab."^45 Baqir said, "Jabir,
all the believers who receive this book,
let them take care! They must read it silently
and only at night. By day they should seek
each single believer who knows the lord
and witnesses him. He'll find deliverance
from the imprisonment of heart. Jabir,
I mean every believer who knows the lord
and his majesty, who witnesses him
and gives up life, money, and his possessions."WHAT OF THOSE WHO DENY GOD'S
ATTRIBUTES?
Jabir asked, "My lord, what does it mean
when fallen creatures say that god cannot
be described and he is without attributes?"
Baqir answered, "Jabir, these are god's words
of wrath. The high king is near and is called near
and rejects the worship of cursed Iblis:^46
'They see him distantly; we see him close.'^47
Watch out, Jabir. I tell you, when the Qur'an
states, 'Say, he is one god,'^48 this is the speech
of unbelievers. What do you say to that?"
Jabir said, "Lord of all lords, you know best."
Baqir said, "God is as we have described him,
as he appeared to Iblis. The cursed Iblis said,
and full of loathing, 'You are not our lord.- Salman.
- A Muslim mystic from among the ghulat. Perhaps a later addition to the text.
- The devil.
- Qur'an sura 70.
- Qur'an sura 112.