The Veil is the existential cause (illa) for creation; had it been removed, they would not have needed to gaze upon it 1 ; rather, they would have seen Him like the [full] moon, facing no injustice or difficulty in beholding Him.'
On the authority of al-Sadiq—may His might be exalted: 'Verily, God causes change (yughayyir) but does not change; He mandates patience (yusabbir) but is not subject to patience. Glorified be He! Change occurs only within the eyes of humans.'
He says: The Sage (al-'Alim) was asked about the Manifest One whom "vision cannot perceive": Is He [seen] in His entirety, or does the sight perceive one part and not another? And what are the boundaries of what the sight perceives?
He replied: 'Verily, that which the sight sees is beyond perception (ghayr madruk). It may be seen in its entirety because He is One and cannot be partitioned; however, there is a limitation of sight (hasru al-basar) due to the [human] temperament. Just as the hearts know Him yet cannot perceive [His essence], so too do the sights see Him yet cannot perceive Him. Do you [the questioner] know [only] a part or a fraction of Him? Rather, you behold Him in His entirety but do not perceive Him.