And Allah1 is a Goal2 from the goals of the Meaning [al-Ma'na], and the Meaning is other than the Goal. He is unique in Lordship, and He described Himself without limit or vision.
Thus, the Mention [Dhikr] of Allah is other than Allah3, and Allah is other than His Names. And every Name—other than Allah—or Attribute, or Meaning, or Thing upon which a name falls, is created.
And he said: Whoever claims that he knows Allah through a Veil [Hijab], or a Form, or a Likeness, is a polytheist Mushrik4; because the Veil of Allah is other than Him, His Form is other than Him, and His Likeness is other than Him. Allah is only known by Allah.
Footnotes
1Allah: An Essential Name for the Meaning [al-Ma'na]. The Ancient One [al-Qadim] gave the Mim [to it], to approximate it to the meaning via the structure of the Name.
2The Goal [al-Ghaya]: In language: the extent and the end... In terminology: the end of movement. Divisions of the Goal: An intermediate goal and an ultimate goal. The word "Allah" here is an intermediate goal in order to reach the ultimate goal, which is the Worshipped Meaning. As for the Meaning, the Exalted, neither name nor attribute falls upon Him from the perspective of what He is [min haythu hu]. For Names and Attributes are places of knowledge for the Gnostics. Our Master Al-Sadiq—may his might be exalted—said: "Names are limits." Hence, the Meaning is other than the Name, which is a goal from the goals of the Meaning, the Exalted. To Him belong the Names' meaning, but as for their meaning, it falls upon the Mim.
3The Mention [Dhikr] of Allah is other than Allah = Meaning the linguistic pronunciation in supplicating to Him and acknowledging His spirituality is other than Him, because He, the Mighty and Majestic, cannot be mentioned except by Names and Attributes. And He, in reality, is other than what flows upon the tongues of creation regarding the "Mention of Allah," and He is other than His Names, because Names are for the need of created beings. How excellent is the saying of our Master Al-Sadiq: "Indeed, Allah has ninety-nine names; if the Name were the Meaning, then every name among them would be a god."
4Whoever claims falsely that he knows Allah through a human veil, or a cosmic [veil], or the Form of a Speaking Imam, or a Nominal Likeness [Mithal Ismi] laid upon the bier and silent after speech, then he is a polytheist, because all of them are "other than Him."