(477) It was said of al-Sadiq — exalted be his glory — that he said: "Recognize the Alif, for there has only emerged to you from our knowledge an Alif that is not bent; had it bent, you would have bent [strayed]." The Alif is al-Miqdad, meaning: had he doubted, you would have doubted.

Since the Gate was luminous, being Salman (who is Gabriel — peace be upon us [and him]), his five Orphans were luminous, namely: Michael, Seraphiel, Azrael, Dardayel, and Salsayel — peace be upon him.

(478) We have related from the reliable sheikh Abu al-Husayn the Majestic, by a chain we have omitted to avoid length: that they are also the five planets: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury, along with the Sun and the Moon — for we have mentioned that these two are Mus’ab ibn Umayr and Nawfal ibn al-Harith — peace be upon them both. These seven personages are the five planets and the two luminaries.

By them, the astrologers judge the fortunes and misfortunes, the influence of actions, and the direction of the world and the regions, yet they do not know the reality of their personages. In this, they are upon one of the paths of Reality and have reached the correctness of their recognition, for in our view they are the five Orphans in whose hands are the keys of sovereignty and direction by the command of the Master, the High, the Great, and the will of His Name, the Wise, the Powerful, and what has been delegated to His Gate of the momentous affair. Had we sought to research all that appeared regarding their status, we would not have achieved even a small part of it, for we are people of Intermingling and Shortcoming. What we have mentioned is sufficient {for him who has a heart or lends an ear while he is a witness}. We return to mentioning their names in the eleven Risings which God favored us by knowing and reaching their memorization by His favor and mercy: