O my Allah! When even in my state of wealth I am dependent, then how can I not
be dependent in my state of poverty?

Man's original and natural attribute is faqr (poverty). He is, therefore,
dependent on Allah Ta'ala. Dependence which is likewise man's natural quality
is inseparable from him. His state of ghina (wealth / independence)
is a temporary acquisition. Even in the state of ghina he is entirely
dependent on Allah. Thus, in the state of faqr, man's dependence is to a greater
degree.

O my Allah! When I am ignorant even in my state of knowledge, then my ignorance
in my state of ignorance will be greatly magnified.

O my Allah! The variety of your schemes and the swiftness of your Taqdeer
have prevented your Aarifeen from snugness and comfort in the gifts You award,
and from despairing in calamity.

The Divine Schemes are ever-changing. A man is sometimes in poverty. Allah
Ta'ala then bestows wealth to him and sometimes the rich is reduced to penury.
Health is transformed into sickness and vice versa. Strength into weakness
and weakness into strength; honour is snatched away and disgrace sets in. The
lowly is elevated and granted respect and rank.

These ever-changing conditions are part of Taqdeer (Predestination) which
unravel with swiftness. These two factors prevent the a rifeen from snugness
in the comforts and bounties they are endowed with, hence they do not focus
their attention on the material and spiritual bounties awarded to them. They
have understood the temporary nature of these awards. These are things which
come and go. It is, therefore, not worthwhile to attach the heart to things
which will disappear.

They also do not lose hope in Allah's mercy when calamities descend on them.
They are fully aware that these calamities too are not enduring. These too
will disappear.

O my Allah! All things befitting my evil and my contemptibility are from me,
and all things deserving of Your grace are from You.

Transgression, sin and unmindfulness origin from man's evil and contemptibility.
It is man's inherent quality to fail in the execution of the Huqooq (Rights)
of Allah Ta'ala. Allah's relationship with man is one of grace, kindness and
forgiveness.

O my Allah! Even before the existence of my impotency, You have confirmed
your grace and kindness for me. Will You now, after the existence of my impotency,
deprive me of Your grace and kindness?

Allah Ta'ala is Raheem and Ra-oof. His mercy and kindness are limitless. His
attributes are eternal, hence His kindness and grace are perpetually with man.

O my Allah! If goodness emanates from me, it is Your grace and favour on me.
If evil emanates from me, it is Your justice and the confirmation of Your decree
on me.

Obedience and acts of virtue which man renders are not by virtue of his effort
and strength, but are the result of Allah's grace and kindness which He confers
to man. On the contrary, the perpetration of evil is not injustice by Allah
Ta'ala. It is His justice. He, being the true King, is entitled to act in His
kingdom as He pleases. Thus, when He refrains from preventing man from the
commission of evil, He is not being unjust to him. His action is just.

In man's commission of evil is also the confirmation of Allah's indictment
against man who will not be able to deny his evil in the Divine Court.

O my Allah! When You are my Surety, how will You assign me to my nafs? When
You are my Helper, how can I be disgraced? When You are merciful to me, how
can I fail. I make my poverty a medium for reaching You. How can I take as
a medium something which cannot reach You?

Allah is man's protector. The supplication is, therefore, to be saved from
becoming trapped by the nafs which destroys man.

Allah's Name is Naasir (The Helper). He is, therefore, man's helper. His aid
is, therefore, with man. With Allah's aid, the bandah will never be disgraced.
The bandah will not suffer failure when Allah's kindness manifests itself.
When the bandah is truly dependent on Allah, His aid will most certainly be
forthcoming.

Since man's deeds are insignificant, he cannot present them as a medium for
attaining Divine Proximity. Rather, the bandah presents his poverty (faqr)
as a medium for attaining closeness to Allah Ta'ala.

Something which has a relationship with the object of intercession is offered
as a waseelah (medium). If there is no relationship, the appointment of the
medium as the intercessor will be futile. The waseelah should have the ability
to enter into the presence of the one to whom the intercession is to be presented.
But faqr (poverty and dependence) lack this ability and relationship. There
is no relationship between Allah Ta'ala and faqr. Hence, the Shaikh, retracting
this supplication says:

‘How can I take as a waseelah something which is unable to reach Your lofty
Court?'

Further, when the bandah considers his state of faqr to be of the quality
which renders it significant enough to act as his waseelah, it indicates dependence
on his faqr and implies a claim of faqr made by the bandah. He thus reposes
reliance on one of his personal attributes. The faqr is, therefore, defective.
Perfect faqr is to focus the attention solely on Allah Ta'ala.

O my Allah! When my condition is not hidden from You, how can I lodge any
complaint? When my speech emanates in consequence of Your command, how can
I proclaim it to by my talk? When my hopes have travelled to Your lofty court,
how can I be unsuccessful? When the point of initiation and return of my states
are You, how can they not be beautiful and beloved?

Why should man complain when all his conditions are conspicuous to Allah Ta'ala?
A complaint is lodged to a being who is unaware. All states and conditions
of man are emanations of the Divine Being. Everything is His Command. Everything
is therefore beautiful and beloved. There is no need for the bandah to despair.

O my Allah! Despite my imbecility and short-sightedness, you are most gracious
to me, and despite the evil of my deeds, you are most merciful to me.

When hardships settle on man, he becomes resentful although there is benefit
for him in these calamities. In view of his childishness and short-sightedness
he cannot fathom the wisdom underlying the hardships Divinely imposed on him.
But, Allah's mercy is with him.

Although man deserves to be eliminated on account of his transgression, Allah's
wide mercy always encompasses him.

O my Allah! How close are You to me and how far am I from You! When You are
so gracious to me, what can block me from Your mushaahadah?

Allah is closer to man than his own life, but man on account of his nafsaani
attributes, is far from Allah Ta'ala. Not a moment passes without Allah's mercy
and grace being on the bandah. When Allah is so magnanimous and gracious to
his bandah, nothing can impede him from the perception of Allah Ta'ala.

O my Allah! I have realised from my changing circumstances and conditions
that it is Your intention and will that I should recognise You in everything
to such a degree that I do not remain ignorant of Your ma'rifat in anything.

The changing circumstances and conditions occurring to man are numerous. Richness,
poverty, health, sickness, respect, happiness, despondency, etc. are among
man's changing conditions. When the bandah reflects on the different conditions
occurring to him, he will realise that Allah Ta'ala wishes that he recognises
Him. The bandah should not be ignorant of Allah's recognition in all things.

If the bandah's condition was static, undergoing no change, his ma'rifat of
Allah would remain defective. If for example, the bandah's state of health
and wealth had to remain constant, his recognition of Allah would remain imperfect
because Allah is also the eliminator of sickness and poverty. This ma'rifat
would have been denied to the bandah. Similarly, if he remained perpetually
in the state of sickness, the bandah would have been deprived of the ma'rifat
of Allah being the bestower of health.

O my Allah! Whenever my evil sealed my tongue, Your grace opened its speech.
When my evil attributes constrained me to despair, Your kindness raised hope
in me.

Sins silence the bandah's tongue which supplicates for Allah's proximity.
This pursuit (talab) is the result of friendship and love which are the products
of obedience to Allah Ta'ala. Since the bandah is devoid of obedience and possesses
only defect and incompetence, the tongue of pursuit is silenced. But the kindness
of Allah activates the tongue with speech. When the bandah realises that Allah
is gracious, he musters up courage.

Evil attributes have created despair in the bandah who feels that he is unable
to adopt steadfastness and firmness in the Path of Allah Ta'ala. However, each
time the despair is displaced by hope as a result of Allah's kindness and favour.

O my Allah! When even my virtues are evils, how can my evils not be evil?
When my knowledge of realities is merely an empty claim, how can my claim not
be merely an empty claim?

On account of riya (show) and ujub (vanity), the virtuous deeds of the bandah
are also evils. What then is the condition of his evil deeds?

The haqaa-iq (knowledge of Divine Secrets and Realities) of the bandah are
merely claims put forward by him. The Shaikh, because of humility and modesty
feels that his knowledge of transcendental realities is only an empty claim.
When the glory and splendour of Allah Ta'ala are realised by the bandah, he
sees the emptiness of whatever knowledge he possesses. If this is the case
of the knowledge, then to a far greater degree will a claim of knowledge be
a baseless claim.

O my Allah! Your operative decree and Your predominance will have left
no speaker and no man of rank with confidence.

Allah's command operates in everything and His will dominates all things.
Thus, a man who gives discourses on haqaa-iq and ma-aarif should not labour
under any deception of him being a great researcher and a man of subtle knowledge.
He should not be vain on account of his ability of expression and eloquence
in elaborating on Divine Truths and Mysteries. Allah's Command and Will can
snatch away whatever the man of knowledge thinks he knows. Such episodes have
already transpired.

Also, a man of spiritual rank should not be vain because of his rank of elevation.
Ranks of spiritual elevation are Divine Bounties which Allah Ta'ala is fully
capable of snatching away. There were many men of such ranks who were demoted
and had their loftiness snatched away. Thus, no one should repose confidence
in his excellences.

O my Allah! I have rendered many acts of obedience and I have solidified many
states (haalaat), but Your justice (adl) has suppressed my reliance on them
(my obedience and states). In fact, Your fadhl has diverted me from dependence
on them.

The bandah offers many deeds of obedience outwardly. He also purifies his
spiritual states from contaminations, imbuing in them ikhlaas (sincerity).
The bandah, therefore, gains the impression of having gained entry into a powerful
fortress. He feels that he is, therefore, protected against the subtleties
of riya (show) and ujub (vanity). But when the bandah reflects on the adl (justice)
of Allah, his reliance on his assumed fortress dissipates.

The demand of Divine Justice is that Allah does as He pleases. It is, therefore,
within the purview of His adl to ignore the obedience and worship
of His servants and even punish man for their worship.

The Shaikh progresses further and says that, in fact, it is Allah's fadhl
(kindness) which has constrained the bandah to abandon dependence on his obedience
and worship. Thus the bandah's reliance is on Allah's fadhl, not on his deeds
of virtue.

O my Allah! You are aware that although I lack constancy in obedience, I am
constant in my intention and love.

The bandah is deficient in being constant in ibaadat. His constancy is erratic.
Nevertheless, he is constant in his love for ibaadat and in his resolve of
obedience. This constancy too is the consequence of Allah's fadhl. Many people
are deprived of this constancy.

O my Allah! Since You are the All-Powerful, why should I make an intention.
When You are the Commander, how can I refrain from making a firm resolution?

Allah's power and control extend over all things. How could it then be possible
for the bandah to resolve to be obedient and refrain from transgression? It
is quite possible that Allah may neutralise the bandah's resolution. Further,
how is it possible for the bandah to refrain from forming a resolution when
Allah Ta'ala commands righteousness and prohibits evil? The bandah is, therefore,
in bewilderment between these two opposites. What should he do? He is helpless
and unable to plan. He lacks the ability for firm resolution, but he is under
pressure not to abandon resolution (azm). Thus, the bandah has no option other
than resigning (tasleem) himself to Allah Ta'ala and reposing his full reliance
on him.

In view of this bewilderment, the a rifeen abstain from making resolutions.
They assign all their affairs to Allah Ta'ala. (This state of assignment is
called Tafweez.) It is because of this attitude that it is said: ‘The a rif
has no heart'.

O my Allah! My wavering in the circumstances of creation necessitates remoteness
from You. Keep me wholly resolute in a service which will deliver me to Your
lofty court.

The bandah's heart flutters about indecisively in the different conditions
attendant to creation. Sometimes the bandah strikes up a relationship with
one person and then again with another person. Sometimes he pursues spiritual
conditions and experiences. The bandah's vacillation in these aspects of creation
impedes him from reaching Allah's proximity. His aimless wanderings increase
his distance from the Divine Court. The bandah should, therefore, supplicate
to be applied in entirety to such a service which ensures that his bond with
creation be served so that he reaches Allah Ta'ala.

O my Allah! How is it possible to rationally deduct Your existence from things
whose existence is dependent on You? Is it possible for other objects to attain
such a conspicuous appearance which You lack in order to reveal You? Since
when are You absent that proof is required for Your existence? Since when are
You far away that creation needs to reach You?

Here the Shaikh (rahmatullah alayh) expresses surprise at the attempt to prove
the existence of Allah Ta'ala by the utilisation of created objects in the
process of logical deduction (istidlaal). If Allah Ta'ala had not created these
objects, they would not have existed. Their very existence is dependent on
Allah Ta'ala. How can such dependables constitute proof for His existence?
The proof (daleel) is always more conspicuous than the object it sets out to
prove (madlool). Is it then possible for created objects to be more conspicuous
than the Creator? Obviously not! Creation, therefore, cannot be an adequate
basis to prove His existence. In fact, His intense conspicuousness makes His
existence is self-evident, requiring no proof.

Proof is required to confirm what is absent. But, He is never absent. He is
not far away, hence there is no need to deliver creation to Him. He is omnipresent
and more conspicuous than every object in creation. Thus, the exercise in logical
deduction to prove His existence is redundant and superfluous.

O my Allah! The eyes which cannot discern You as the Guard and Protector are
blind. May the trade of that bandah who has not taken a share of Your love
suffer a loss.

The bandah who fails to discern that Allah Ta'ala watches and guards him,
is blind. The bandah who does not act to achieve the love of Allah will always
flounder in loss even though he does not understand this.

O my Allah! You have instructed us to refer to the aathaar (the impressions
of His attributes). Guide me towards the aathaar with the mantle of Your illumination
and with the intuitive gaze (baseerat) so that I may turn towards You, as commanded
by You, with a protected heart and high courage. You have power over all things.

Once the bandah attaines Wusool and Mushaahdah, Allah Ta'ala orders him to
return to his earthly relationships, e.g. family and wealth. He is ordered
to pay attention to the rights and obligations connected with creation. The
bandah is, therefore, fearful of being deprived of Allah's mushaahadah by his
worldly associations. He thus supplicates for Divine Aid and guidance. He petitions
Allah to enshroud him with His illumination and to strengthen his heart so
that even while he is physically with creation, he should see only Allah Ta'ala.

The bandah supplicates for baseerat so that he is always guided and prevented
from engrossment in creation, so that the mushaahadah of Allah appears to him
in everything. Since Allah has power over everything, He can fulfil all supplications.

O my Allah! My contemptibility is known to You. My condition is not hidden
from You. I supplicate to reach Your lofty court. I ask to be guided to Your
lofty court with You. Guide me to You with Your Noor and allow me to stand
in Your Presence like a true slave.

Man's original state of contemptibility is open to Allah Ta'ala. The condition
of the bandah is not concealed from Allah Ta'ala. In reality, the revelation
to man of his own state of contemptibility is respect. The bandah who is unaware
of his contemptibility and thinks of himself as being honourable, is truly
contemptible.

The bandah supplicates to reach Allah with His aid. His gaze is never on his
own efforts and deeds. He seeks to be guided to Allah's recognition with Allah
Himself. Unlike others, he does not resort to the process of logical deduction
to recognise and attain Him. Someone asked an a rif: “How did you recognise
Allah?” He replied: “I recognised my Rabb with my Rabb.” The supplication of
the bandah is, therefore, to be guided to Allah Ta'ala with His Noor, which
means the heart being inspired with ma'rifat.

The bandah further petitions to be permitted to stand in the Divine Presence
as a true slave by suppression of the attributes of Ruboobiyat (e.g. knowledge,
power, etc. which have been created in man) and the manifestation of the qualities
of uboodiyat (enslavement to Allah). These are the attributes of humility,
lowliness, weakness and contemptibility.

O my Allah! Instruct me in Your hidden knowledge and protect me with the secret
of Your guarded Names. O my Allah! Grant me firmness in the established stations
of the People of Qurb and let me walk the path of the People of Jazb.

Hidden knowledge refers to Divine Mysteries and Secrets which are bestowed
to the Auliya. The guarded Names are the Beautiful Names of Allah Ta'ala, which
are protected against defilement and disgrace. The secrets of these Names refer
to the illumination emanating from them. The bandah seeks protection against
all evils with the aid of the Divine Illumination of His Names.

O my Allah! With Your plan make me independent of my plan and with Your will
make me independent of my will. Establish me in the centre of my restlessness.

The bandah supplicates for only Divine Dispensation. The gaze should be only
on the Plan and Decree of Allah Ta'ala, not on the plans and efforts of man.
When man is concerned with his own schemes, he becomes trapped in his nafs.
He then drifts away from Allah's presence.

All affairs of the bandah should be directed only by the Divine Will. The
individual's will should not feature in any affair. When the bandah operates
his own will, he clashes with the Divine Will.

The centres of restlessness refer to the lowly attributes of man, e.g. humility,
weakness, contemptibility. In these conditions the bandah always supplicates
to Allah Ta'ala. It behoves the bandah to keep in view his weakness and contemptibility.

O my Allah! Save me from the disgrace and greed of my nafs. Cleanse me of
my doubts and shirk before I am lowered into the grave. I seek Your aid against
nafsaani desires and shaitaani thoughts. Help me, O Allah! I trust only in
You. Do not assign me to anyone else. I ask only from You. Do not make me despair.
I am enthusiastic for Your grace and kindness. Do not deprive me. Guide me
to Your lofty court and do not cast me off. I am standing askance on Your threshold.
Do not buffet me away.

The greed of the nafs means man's desires and hopes whose fulfilment he seeks
from others besides Allah Ta'ala. Doubt here means the constriction of the
heart when something displeasing happens. This constriction produces darkness
in the heart. Cleansing the heart for the attainment of purity means the development
of yaqeen which expands the heart. True peace and pleasure from Allah Ta'ala
settle in the heart which has been purified.

Shirk here refers to the heart's indifference of the true Cause and its relationship
with the external agencies.

When the darkness of shak (doubt) becomes dominant, the noor of yaqeen
diminishes. The heart then inclines towards shirk because Tauhid cannot be
visualised without the noor of Yaqeen. Man then turns towards the external
agencies and superficial causes of things. The bandah, therefore, supplicates
to be purified of doubt and shirk.

O my Allah! When Your pleasure does not stand in need of a cause, then how
can any of my actions or conditions be a cause for it? O my Allah! When Your
perfect Thaat is independent of deriving any benefit from even Yourself, then
what benefit can accrue to You from me who is defective and contemptible?

Ridhaa (Pleasure) is a Divine Attribute. All attributes of Allah Ta'ala are
eternal. The eternal has no cause. Since Allah's attribute of Ridhaa being
eternal has no cause, it is inconceivable that any act of the bandah can ever
be the cause for the ridhaa of Allah. Nothing can act on Allah Ta'ala. Change
does not come to Him. Allah's ridhaa is not dependent on the bandah's actions.
The bandah's good deeds and conditions are the effects of Allah's ridhaa.

O my Allah! Qadr (Predestination) and Your decree have overwhelmed me and
nafsaani desires have enchained me in powerful chains. Be my helper and aid
me, and through me aid also my associates. Make me so independent so that with
the mushaahadah of Your grandeur and beauty I become independent from my motives.

When the bandah contemplates to practise obedience or abstain from transgression,
his resolution is negated by Fate. The bandah is also fettered by the strong
chains of the nafs. He, therefore, has no alternative other than Divine Aid.
The bandah in his supplication should also include his relatives and associates.
Independence from all things besides Allah Ta'ala is an attribute for which
the bandah supplicates so that he remains independent from even his own motives.
When the bandah is endowed with perpetual mushaahadah, he will be annihilated
and oblivious of even his own motives and desires.

You are The Being Who has infused into the hearts of Your friends the anwaar
of ma-aarif. They have, therefore, recognised You and acknowledged Your unity.
You are the pure Being Who has expelled from the hearts of friends all alien
relationships. They have, thus, made only You their beloved. When they are
restless, they do not seek support from anyone besides You. Only You are affectionate
to them. Therefore, the relationship and contaminations of this world have
terrified them. Only You have guided them, hence the path of truth has been
revealed to them.

The bandah is able to recognise Allah Ta'ala by the illumination of ma'rifat
with which He brightens the heart. As a result, the servants of Allah affirm
His unity and perceive His reality. It is Allah Who purifies the hearts of
His friends from all alien influences. All things besides Allah are expelled
from their hearts which become the repositories of Divine Love. They discern
the path of truth by means of Divine Noor which guides them along.

What has man found when he has failed to find You? What has he not found after
having found You? Whoever was pleased with anyone besides You, has failed and
whoever attempted to divert himself from Your lofty court, suffered loss and
ruin.

The one who observes creation with his eyes and heart without perceiving Allah
Ta'ala with his heart, has in reality seen nothing, because creation is pure
non-existence. He has, therefore, gained nothing by his observation. On the
other hand, whoever has gained Allah's mushaahadah has found everything despite
him being deprived of the good things of the world.

The bandah who seeks the pleasure of things besides Allah, e.g. worldly pleasures
or spiritual states, is a failure. He has suffered a tremendous loss.

O my Allah! You have not decreased Your kindness, how can I then cherish hope
in others? You have not changed Your habit of awarding favour to Your servants.
How then can I ask from others?

The limitless ocean of Allah's kindness is eternal. It never diminishes. The
bandah should, therefore, not have any hope in others. Allah Ta'ala always
is the bestower of bounties to His servants. The bandah should not, therefore,
ask from others besides Allah Ta'ala.

O Allah! You have given Your Friends the taste of the sweetness of Your love.
They have thus stood up with love and humility in Your presence. O Allah! You
have cloaked Your friends with the mantle of Your grandeur. They have thus
become honourable with it.

The happiness felt from the perception (mushaahadah) of the beauty of the
Beloved is termed oens . When the bandah experience the pleasure of
Divine Love, all other relationships are expelled from his heart and he stands
with love and humility in the presence of Allah Ta'ala.

The mantle of Allah's grandeur refers to the dignity and awe which surround
the personalities of Allah's friends, i.e. the Auliya. People are awed simply
by looking at the Auliya. The Auliya derive their respect and honour from Divine
Grandeur, not from any worldly agency.

O my Allah! Even before the existence of the Thaakireen, You remembered them
with Your favours and even before the attention of the worshippers, you commenced
Your favours on them. Even prior to the requests of the supplicators, You were
generous with Your forgiveness. You are most-forgiving. After bestowing Your
bounties to us, you asked us for a loan of these (bounties).

Long before the bandah who became a thaakir came into existence, Allah Ta'ala
by virtue of His kindness remembered him. In consequence of His remembrance,
he bestowed the gift of existence (wujood). Even prior to the bandah becoming
a worshipper and a supplicator, Allah Ta'ala turned His gaze of mercy to the
bandah by granting him the wonderful ni'mat of wujood.

Whatever Allah Ta'ala bestows to the bandah, He asks it as a loan. The Qur'aan
says:

“Who will give Allah a beautiful loan?”

The reward for advancing this loan to Allah will be granted in the a khirah.
Allah Ta'ala does not acquire any benefit from the loan the bandah advances
to Him. The term qardh (loan) is used figuratively and indicates Allah's love
for His servants. It is like giving a child a gift, then asking it on loan
and returning a superior item.

O my Allah! Call me with Your mercy so that I reach You. Draw me to You with
Your kindness so that my attention is wholly focused on You. O my Allah! Although
I disobey You, my hope is not severed. If I obey You, Your fear does not depart
from me. O my Allah! The whole world has buffeted me towards You. The knowledge
of Your grace and kindness has delivered me to Your doors.

The bandah cannot reach Allah Ta'ala on the strength of his defective deeds
and efforts. The bandah, therefore, supplicates for Divine Assistance to be
drawn to Him by His grace and kindness. Man's efforts minus Divine Mercy cannever
deliver the bandah to Allah Ta'ala.

The bandah should never despair of the mercy of Allah despite his acts of
disobedience. The kindness and forgiveness of Allah are not dependent on any
cause.

The bandah should not become audacious on account of his acts of obedience
and worship. Allah does as He pleases. Even if He punishes the bandah for worshipping,
it will be proper and just. He is the true King.

When the bandah is conscious of reality, he realises that everything in creation
pushes him towards Allah Ta'ala. Everything sends out the message: “I am perishable.
Do not strike up a relationship with me.”

The bandah's knowledge of the fact that Allah Ta'ala is merciful and kind
constrains him to turn towards Allah. He, therefore, never relents in his endeavours
to reach his Creator.

O my Allah! You are my Hope. How can I then be absent from You? I am leaning
on You. How can I then be disgraced? O my Allah! You have planted me in disgrace.
How can I then acquire respect? You have related me to You. How then can I
not be honourable? You have placed me in poverty and dependence. How then can
I be independent? You have made me independent with Your existence. How than
can I be dependent?

When the bandah's hope is in Allah, he will not despair. When he derives support
from Allah, he cannever be disgraced. Man's origin is non-existence (adm).
He, therefore, cannot have izzat (respect) as his original attribute. Eternal
izzat is the attribute of only Allah Ta'ala. Since the bandah is related to
Allah Ta'ala by virtue of his love and obedience, he derives honour and respect
from Allah's izzat. Thus, in relation to his origin, man is contemptible, but
in relation to his bond with Allah he is honourable.

With regard to his origin, the bandah is a pauper and dependent. With the
existence of Allah, the bandah is rendered free from dependence on others.
When the bandah has acquired the treasure of Allah's Qurb (Proximity), he cannever
then be in need of others.

You are the Being besides Whom there is no object of worship. You have bestowed
Your recognition to everything. Nothing is unaware of You. You have enabled
me to acquire Your recognition in everything. I have, therefore, seen with
clarity Your illumination in everything. You are conspicuous to all. You are
the Being Who is established on the Arsh (Throne) with Your attributes of mercy.
The Arsh has disappeared in His mercy just as the universe has disappeared
in His Arsh.

Allah is the only Being Who deserves worship. Besides Him there is no object
of worship. Every object in creation recognises Allah according to the degree
of ma'rifat bestowed to it. Every object is like a mirror reflecting Allah's
beauty for the bandah who perceives Allah's manifestation in all things. Thus,
Allah is conspicuous and revealed to everyone and everything.

Allah's limitless mercy has ensconced the Arsh which has disappeared in his
Rahmat (mercy) just as the entire universe is an infinitesimal atom having
seemingly disappeared under the vast canopy of the Divine Throne.

You have eliminated aathaar (impressions) with aathaar. You have annihilated
aliens with the heavens of anwaar. O Allah! You are the Being Who is concealed
from the eyes by the veils of Your dignity. You are the Being Who has manifested
Your illumination in the hearts of the Aarifeen. Your infinite honour has become
established in their hearts. How can You be concealed? You are revealed and
conspicuous. How can You be absent? You are the Guard and You are present.
You are the One to give guidance. I seek aid from only Him.

ولاحول ولاقوّة اِلا بالله العلي العظي م وصلى الله على سيّدنا م ح م د واله واصحابه

The aathaar mentioned first refers to the heavens, the planets, the Looh (Looh-e-Mahf م z),
the Qalam (Pen) and all other aspects of creation besides the Divine Throne.
The second aathaar refers to the glorious Arsh (Throne) of Allah Ta'ala. In
comparison to the Arsh all creation recedes into oblivion. This is the meaning
of annihilation in this context.

Aliens in this context also means the glorious Arsh. In relation to Divine
Illumination it is described as an alien, i.e. something besides Allah Ta'ala.
The infinite Rahmat of Allah Ta'ala encompasses the Arsh and renders it an
insignificant, infinitesimal spectacle which has receded into oblivion. Entire
creation, including the Arsh, is entirely encompassed by the infinite Rahmat
of Allah.

Eyes are unable to perceive Allah Ta'ala. Seeing Allah Ta'ala with the corporeal
eyes in this world is an absolute impossibility. In the a khirah, while the
physical eyes will be empowered to see Allah Ta'ala, the sight will not be
encompassing. Created objects cannot see or comprehend the eternal Being in
entirely and totality. Such total comprehension of Allah Ta'ala is an impossibility
even in the a khirah.

Allah Ta'ala is never concealed from the a rifeen whose hearts have been permeated
by the radiant illumination of Allah's Sifaat-e-Jamaaliyah (The Beautiful Attributes)
such as splendour and beauty. Their hearts are imbued with great respects for
the grandeur of Allah Ta'ala.

Allah is more conspicuous than all things. He is, therefore, invisible. He
stands guarding and protecting entire creation.

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Al-hamdulillah! The commentary on Itmamun Ni'am has been accomplished on 11th
Rabiuth Thaani 1237 on Tuesday. May Allah Ta'ala make it beneficial by His
fadhl.