The Fifth Section,
which is the Fifth Treatise
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
God is the Light of the heavens and the earth.(24:35)
While in a spiritual state during the month of Ramadan, I perceived one light of the many luminous mysteries of this light-filled verse; I saw it as though from afar. It was like this:
I had a vision of the heart and imagination which afforded me the conviction that, as in the famous supplication of Uways al-Qarani,
O God! You are our Sustainer, for we are mere slaves; we are powerless to sustain and raise ourselves. That is to say, the One who sustains us is You! And it is You who is the Creator, for we are creatures, we are being made! And it is You who is the Provider, for we are in need of provision, we have no power!,
all living creatures are offering supplications to Almighty God, and that a divine name illuminates each of the eighteen thousand worlds. It was like this:
I saw that within this world are thousands of worlds enwrapped in veil after veil, one within the other like a rose-bud with numerous petals. As each veil was unfolded I saw another world. It was like that depicted by the verse following the Light Verse:
Or [the unbelievers’ state] is like the depths of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with billow topped with billow, topped by [dark] clouds; depths of darkness, one above the other; if a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it; for any to whom God gives not light, there is no light;(24:40)
it appeared to me in darkness, desolation, and terrible blackness. Suddenly, the manifestation of a divine name appeared like a refulgent light, illuminating it. Whichever veil was folded back another world appeared before my mind. But while appearing dark due to heedlessness, a divine name would be manifested like the sun, filling that world with light from top to bottom. And so on. This journey of the heart and imagination continued for a long time. In short: