(239) My sheikh—may God be pleased with him—narrated, saying: The reliable sheikh Abu al-Husayn Muhammad ibn Ali al-Jali—may the King, the Most High sanctify him—narrated from his sheikh Abu Abd Allah al-Khasibi—may God ennoble his station—reaching our lord al-Mufaddal ibn Umar al-Ju'fi—peace be upon him—from Abu al-Zubayr, from Abu Mikhnaf Lut, who said: I was with my Master Amir Almuminin when he passed a Jewish man saying: "Glory be to Him who veiled Himself with light so that no eye sees Him." My Master—exalted be his glory—said to him: "Whom do you mean by that?" The Jew replied: "I mean God the Almighty." Amir Almuminin—exalted be his glory—said to him: "O brother of the Jews, God did not veil Himself from His creation; rather, their evil deeds veiled them from seeing Him.1 If He wills, He makes Himself known to whom He wills."
(240) In this sense is what we related reaching Rashid al-Hajari—peace be upon him—who said: I was with my Master Ali ibn al-Husayn—exalted be his glory—one day when he passed a man raising his hand to the air, excessive in his entreaty and supplication. He—exalted be his glory—said: "Do you see him, O Rashid, worshipping the air? He knows not that his Lord is with him, hearing and seeing."
(241) By this chain from our lord Rashid al-Hajari—peace be upon him—who said: I passed with my Master Ali ibn al-Husayn—exalted be his glory—in one of the streets of Medina, and behold, there was a man fawning and pointing with his finger. My Master said: "This is a devil pointing to a devil."
(242) Similar is what my sheikh—may God be pleased with him—narrated from al-Sadiq—exalted be his glory—that he once passed a butcher saying: "Glory be to Him who veiled Himself with light so that no eye sees Him." Our Master said to him: "You have lied. God the Almighty did not veil Himself from His creation, but the world is veiled from Him by their sins." He recited the words of the Almighty: {No! Rather, the stain has covered their hearts of that which they were earning. No! Indeed, from their Lord, that Day, they will be veiled.}2