Furthermore, they said: "Adam the Chosen is the one who sinned, disobeyed, and ate from the tree." They also said: "They are two: the disobedient Adham (with the letter dhal) and Adam (with the letter dal) who is the Chosen Prophet." A group of them said: "The Name—exalted be his glory—was in the world as the world, and his substance and the substance of the Adversary are one"—Exalted and Sanctified is the Name of God far above that. They said the higher world ascended through their deeds and that Salman and the Orphans were mortals who worked and became pure. God protect us from their speech, for it is clear disbelief and unpermissible partnership (shirk); rather, it is the speech of the people of falsehood—may God curse them every evening and morning. Had I explained to you what the people of innovation say, I would have been lengthy, and a little of their speech suffices over much. God protect us and you from them, and may He not turn us or you from the path of Truth and its people by His success and mercy.

(357) Our Master the Sage—exalted be his glory—was asked: "O our Master, has not God the Almighty favored the world by manifesting them from non-existence into existence, and to Him—glory be to Him—belong the Change of Will (al-Bida) and Intent?" He replied: "Yes." It was asked: "If it appeared to Him to return them from existence to non-existence, to what would they return?" He replied: "They would return to their elements from which He produced them; each of them would return to his element." It was asked: "If He willed the annihilation of the elements, would they not annihilate just as they appeared from nothing?" He said: "Yes." It was asked: "To what then would the Name return? Would he annihilate as the elements annihilate?" He said: "I seek refuge in God! The Name returns to his element from which he appeared, which is the Light of the Essence."

(358) My father and sheikh—may God be pleased with him—narrated to me from his sheikh: My sheikh Abu Ishaq Ibrahim al-Rifa’i narrated to me, saying: I was in the presence of our Lord Abu Abd Allah al-Husayn al-Khasibi—may God ennoble his station—and Abu Abd Allah al-Husayn ibn Ahmad ibn Harun asked him regarding the Name—exalted be his glory?