My brother! You should understand that Hadhrat Muhyiddin would not deceive, but he could be deceived. He is rightly-guided, but may not be the guide in all his works. What he saw was correct, but it was not reality. The reality of man’s spirit, the subject of your question, is elucidated in the Twenty-Ninth Word, the discussion on the spirit.

Yes, in respect of its nature, the spirit is a law proceeding from the Divine command. But it is a living law clothed in external existence and possessing external existence. Hadhrat Muhyiddin thought of it only from the point of view of its essential nature. The way of the Unity of Existence considers the existence of things to be imagination. Together with his wondrous illuminations and observations, since he had chosen an important and independent way, he was compelled to apply certain Qur’anic verses to his way and observations, artificially and with forced interpretations, thus marring the clarity of the verses. In others of his treatises he expounds the straight highway of the Qur’an and of the Sunnis. That holy one holds a position all his own, and he is among those who are acceptable. But he exceeded the limits in his unbalanced illuminations, and in many matters opposed the majority of the learned authorities.

It is because of this that although he was such an elevated and wondrous spiritual pole, a unique one of ages, it is as though his particular way was very short, and restricted to Sadruddin al-Qunawi,⁶ and that his works are only rarely benefited from by those on the straight path. Some of the authoritive scholars do not show any inclination to study those valuable works, and some of them even prevent it.

Lengthy study and a very elevated and broad view is needed to show the fundamental differences together with their sources between the Hadhrat Muhyiddin’s way and that of the exacting scholars. Yes, the differences are so fine and profound and the sources, so elevated and extensive that Hadhrat Muhyiddin has not been censured and has continued to be accepted. For if in regard to thought, scholarship, and illumination the difference and sources had become apparent, it would have been an extremely serious fall for him, and grievous error. Since the difference is so profound, we shall try to show it and the sources briefly by means of a comparison, and Hadhrat Muhyiddin’s errors in the matter.

For example, the sun appears in a mirror. The mirror both contains the sun, and is qualified by it. That is to say, in one respect the sun is present in the mirror, and in another respect it adorns the mirror, becoming a brilliant colour, attribute and quality of it. If the mirror had been a camera, it would have fixed the sun’s image on photographic paper. In that case, the nature of the sun appearing on the photographic paper, and the sun which adorns the mirror—since it has become like a quality of the mirror, are other than the actual sun. They are not the sun, but the sun’s manifestation which has taken on another existence. As for the existence of the sun which is visible in the mirror, even if it is not identical with the sun which is visible outside, since it is tied to it and points to it, it is supposed to have the same existence.

As a consequence of this comparison, it may be said that “There is nothing apart from the actual sun in the mirror,” meaning that the mirror contains it and intending the sun’s external existence in the mirror. But if it is said that the sun’s extended reflection, which has become like an attribute or quality of the mirror, and its image which has been transposed to the photographic paper is the sun, it is wrong; it is an error to say: “There is nothing in them other than the sun.” For there is the reflection on the mirror’s shining face and the image formed on its back, and these have their own separate existences. For sure those existences are from the sun’s manifestation, but they are not the sun. Man’s mind and imagination resemble this example of the mirror. It is as follows:

The information in the mirror of man’s thought also has two faces: in one respect it is knowledge, in another, it is known. If we suppose the mind to contain what is known, then the known thing becomes something known by the mind; its existence is something different to the mind. If we suppose the mind to be qualified by the thing, it becomes an attribute or quality of the mind; then the thing becomes knowledge and has an external existence. Even if the thing known has an existence, it has an accidental external existence.

Thus, according to these two comparisons, the universe is a mirror. The true nature of all beings is also a mirror. They are subject to Divine creation through Pre-Eternal Power. In one respect, all beings are sorts of mirrors to one of the Names of the Pre-Eternal Sun, showing one of its embroideries. Those on the way of Hadhrat Muhyiddin unveiled them only in respect of being mirrors and containers, revealing the similitude of their existence in the mirror, from the point of view of denial; and supposing the reflection to be identical with the thing reflected, did not think of other levels. They said: “There is no existent but He,” and were in error. They almost descended to the level of denying the fundamental rule: “The reality of beings is constant.”

As for the people of reality, they have seen through the mystery of the legacy of Prophethood and the definite statements of the Qur’an that the embroideries and inscriptions that come into being in the mirrors of beings through Divine power and will are His works. They are “all from Him;” they are not “all Him.”⁷ Things have an existence and their existence is constant to a degree. For sure their existence is weak compared to that of the Necessary Existence, like an illusion or imagining, but through the Pre-Eternal All-Powerful One’s creation, will, and power, it is.

In the comparison, the sun in the mirror has an existence through its similitude apart from its external existence. And its expanded reflection also, which gives colour to and adorns the mirror, has an accidental and separate external existence. And the sun’s image which is depicted on the photographic paper on the back of the mirror also has a separate and accidental external existence.

Similarly, the inscriptions of beings, which appear through the manifestations of the Sacred Divine Names—occurring through will, choice, and power—in the mirror of the universe and mirrors of the true natures of things, have a created existence separate from the Necessary Existence. And this existence has been given a permanence through Pre-Eternal Power. But if the connection was to be severed, all things would at once cease to be. For its continued existence everything is every instant in need of its Creator’s preserving it. “The reality of things is constant,” but it is constant and permanent only through His making it so.

Thus, Hadhrat Muhyiddin’s saying that “Spirit is not created; it is a reality proceeding from the world of the Divine command and attribute of Will,” is contrary to many clear statements of the Qur’an and Hadith. So too, according to the investigation above, is confused, deceived, and had not seen the weak existences of things.

The places of manifestation of Divine Names like Creator and Provider cannot be illusions or imaginings. Since the Names have a reality, their places of manifestation also have an external reality.