I said: And upon what pattern did He create it?

He said: "Upon the pattern of His Image. Then He divided it into shadows, so some of them looked at others, and they saw themselves that they were brought into being after they had not been. And He placed in them a single capacity. Then God disciplined them."

I said: How did He discipline them?

He said: "He glorified Himself, so they glorified Him; and He praised Himself, so they praised Him; and He extolled Himself, so they extolled Him. And were it not for that, no one would have known how to laud Him and thank Him."

He said: "Then He created from the shadows phantoms, and He made them forms, and He made them the clothing of the shadows. Then He created the Supreme Veil and recited His saying, the Almighty: {And it is not for any human being that God should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a veil}¹".