Among what we have added to this is what my master and sheikh Abu al-Fath Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Baghdadi — may God be pleased with him — narrated to me, which is his interpretation of the words of our Lord Abu Abd Allah al-Husayn ibn Hamdan al-Khasibi — may God brighten his face. The credit belongs to him for what he cited of this, for all that I have mentioned of God’s blessings flowed through his hands; and God is the grantor of success toward what is right.
Lord Abu Abd Allah al-Khasibi — may God raise his rank — said:
Water is a majestic person, by whom life is prolonged.
It is the way of the intelligent and prudent to contemplate this discourse, for it is jurisprudence and science throughout this entire poem. He only pointed by it to the recognition of the Alid persons among the people of the Luminous Ranks, for he [al-Khasibi] — may God be pleased with him — said after its completion: "All these are the meanings of persons, ranks, and stations that we have manifested as symbols and concealed as disclosures." I mention of that what I have known and heard from my reliable sheikhs — may God be pleased with them — from those I have met, and from God I seek aid. God the Mighty and Sublime said: {And it is He who sends the winds as good tidings before His mercy, and We send down from the sky pure water ❁ That We may bring to life thereby a dead land and give it as drink to those We created of numerous livestock and humans. ❁ And We have certainly distributed it among them that they might be reminded, but most of the people refuse anything except disbelief}1. He praised it [the water] here, yet blamed it in another place, saying: {But there is no blame upon you if you are troubled by rain or are ill, for putting down your arms; but take your precaution. Indeed, God has prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment}2. Thus He made it in this place an "annoyance."