(496) It was related that the Second looked at our Master Amir Almuminin—exalted be his glory—after the occultation of the Lord Mim—exalted be his glory—and there was a trace of dust upon His foot. He asked: "From where have you come, O Abu al-Hasan?" Our Master replied: "I have come from [offering] peace upon the Messenger of God—exalted be his glory." He said to Him: "And where is the Messenger of God? How can You come from offering peace upon him when we buried him only yesterday?!"
Our Master Amir Almuminin—exalted be his glory—said to him: "Would you like to see him, O Umar?"
He replied: "Yes, O Abu al-Hasan." So our Master—exalted be his glory—took him by his hand to al-Baqi. Umar said: "I saw the Messenger of God—exalted be his glory—approaching, and with him were folk I recognized and folk I did not recognize. He turned toward Amir Almuminin, offered peace to Him, and did not offer peace to me."
He—may God curse him—possesses an Adversarial Cycle with gates, orphans, nakibs, nujaba, specialists, sincere ones, and tested ones who call to him, just as the people of the Luminous Ranks call to the recognition of the Meaning—exalted be His glory.
Likewise, the call of Iblis stands opposite the call of the Master—Exalted and Sublimed—so that Truth may be distinguished from Falsehood, as God the Almighty said: {That God may distinguish the wicked from the good and place the wicked some of them upon others and heap them all together and put them into Hell. It is those who are the losers}.1
And the words of the Exalted: {And not alike are the two seas. This one is fresh and sweet, pleasant for drink, and this one is salty and bitter. And from each you eat tender meat and extract ornaments which you wear, and you see the ships therein plowing through, that you may seek of His bounty; and perhaps you will be grateful}.2