{And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers}1. And [you will know] that if you ascend in knowledge to the degrees of Gnosis (Ma'rifa), and you contemplate and investigate Existence—either from its highest or from its lowest—doubt will not enter you regarding what you acquire of knowledge and gnosis:
That the God (The Almighty) is not a body2, nor does He incarnate/descend (Yahull) into a body, nor do His artifacts encompass Him.
Then, if you look into what the scholars have mentioned and what the people of Religion and Intellect have witnessed: That the God Originated (Abda'a)3 from the Light of His Essence a Light that is not limited, not numbered, and not encompassed; its end is not reached, nor is its goal terminated.
Footnotes
1Surah Adh-Dhariyat, Verse 55.
2The Body, according to Plato: Is a simple substance; it is the connection and the substantial extension that accepts division externally, in understanding, and in intellect... It is self-evident that Allah the Almighty does not accept division in His Essence. Therefore, He cannot be a body that accepts dimensions and extension. Rather, we say—for the sake of our need for expression—He is a body unlike [other] bodies; meaning, He is a "Fifth Body," unique in Oneness, untainted by the four human natures. And far be it from Him (The Almighty) to incarnate (Hulul) into cosmic bodies, for they are all His artifacts.
3Origination (Ibda'): Is the creation (Insha'/Ikhtira') without a preceding example, unpreceded by matter, time duration, or instrument.His saying "Light of His Essence": An explanatory addition to clarify that the Essence, in its Reality, is Light; rather, it is the Illuminator of every light. It is not called "light" nor "darkness" if you strip it abstractly in the mind.You are not tasked with that which is above the capacity of the intellect. You cannot reach [a level] where you transcend the Universal Intellect (Al-Aql al-Kulli). The utmost of the matter is that you know that above it is the Meaning (Al-Ma'na) which cannot be described.Our Master al-Husayn was asked about the manifestation of our Master, the Commander of the Faithful (Exalted be their Might), in the Visible Form, and the manifestation of his Name in the Muhammadan Form. He said: "The Ordered Form is the Goal of the Seekers, and the Name is the indication for the pursuers." The Questioner said to him: "Is there more, O my Master?" He said: "The Ordered Form is the foundation of the believing hearts, and the Name is the guide of those seeking direction." The Questioner said: "Is there more, O my Master?" Master al-Husayn (Exalted be His Might) said: "He manifested the Form to give it existence, and the Name so His servants would know Him by it."