بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

الْحَمْدُ للهِ مُفِيضِ الْأَنْوَارِ، وَفَاتِحِ الْأَبْصَارِ، وَكَاشِفِ الْأَسْرَارِ، وَرَافِعِ الْأَسْتَارِ،

Praise be to Allah, the Effuser of lights, the Opener of insights, the Discloser of secrets, and the Raiser of veils.

وَالصَّلَاةُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ نُورِ الْأَنْوَارِ، وَسَيِّدِ الْأَبْرَارِ، وَحَبِيبِ الْجَبَّارِ، وَبَشِيرِ الْغَفَّارِ،

And blessings be upon Muhammad, the light of lights, the master of the righteous, the beloved of the Almighty, and the herald of the Forgiving,

وَنَذِيرِ الْقَهَّارِ، وَقَامِعِ الْكُفَّارِ، وَفَاضِحِ الْفُجَّارِ، وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ الطَّاهِرِينَ الْأَخْيَارِ.

and the warner of the Subduer, the suppressor of the disbelievers, the exposer of the wicked, and upon his family and his pure and chosen companions.

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَقَدْ سَأَلْتَنِي أَيُّهَا الْأَخُ الْكَرِيمُ قَيَّضَكَ اللهُ لِطَلَبِ السَّعَادَةِ الْكُبْرَى، وَرَشَّحَكَ لِلْعُرُوجِ إِلَى الذُّرْوَةِ الْعُلْيَا،

Furthermore, you have asked me, O noble brother—may Allah have destined you for the pursuit of supreme happiness and chosen you for the ascent to the highest peak,

وَكَحَّلَ بِنُورِ الْحَقِيقَةِ بَصِيرَتَكَ، وَنَفَى عَمَّا سِوَى الْحَقِّ سَرِيرَتَكَ أَنْ أَبُثَّ إِلَيْكَ أَسْرَارَ الْأَنْوَارِ الْإِلَهِيَّةِ

and may He have brightened your insight with the light of Truth and purged your inner self of all but the Truth—to impart to you the secrets of the divine lights,

مَقْرُونَةً بِمَا يُشِيرُ إِلَيْهِ ظَوَاهِرُ الْآيَاتِ الْمَتْلُوَّةِ وَالْأَخْبَارِ الْمَرْوِيَّةِ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى:

joined with what the outer meanings of the recited verses and the narrated traditions point toward, such as His saying, Exalted is He:

اللهُ نُورُ السَّماواتِ والْأَرْضِ [النور: 35] . وَمَعْنَى تَشْبِيهِهِ ذَلِكَ بِالْمِشْكَاةِ وَالزُّجَاجَةِ وَالْمِصْبَاحِ وَالزَّيْتِ وَالشَّجَرَةِ

"Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth" [An-Nur: 35]. And the meaning of His likening that to the niche, the glass, the lamp, the oil, and the tree,

مَعَ قَوْلِهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: "إِنَّ للهِ سَبْعِينَ أَلْفَ حِجَابٍ مِنْ نُورٍ وَظُلْمَةٍ لَوْ كَشَفَهَا لَأَحْرَقَتْ سُبُحَاتُ وَجْهِهِ كُلَّ مَنْ أَدْرَكَهُ بَصَرُهُ" ،

along with his saying, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him: "Indeed, Allah has seventy thousand veils of light and darkness; were He to lift them, the splendors of His Face would burn everyone upon whom His gaze fell."

وَلَقَدِ ارْتَقَيْتَ بِسُؤَالِكَ مُرْتَقًى صَعْبًا تَنْخَفِضُ دُونَ أَعَالِيهِ مَرَامِي أَعْيُنِ النَّاظِرِينَ،

You have reached a difficult ascent with your question, below the summits of which the aspirations of the eyes of the observers fall short,