as he—may God sanctify his secret—described. 'Pre-eternity' (al-Azaliyya) carries the meaning of Ancientness (al-Qidam) and Everlastingness (al-Baqa'). The Essence possesses the right of precedence over the Attributes.

'I singled it out': Meaning, I singled out the Form—which is the Light that emerged from it—without any separation (fasl); that is, without making the Essence something other than its Light.

'The Distinction' (al-Fadl): refers to the Difference (al-Farq).

'Union' (al-Wasl): refers to 'Gathering' (al-Jam') in Sufi terminology. According to the convention of the Monotheists (al-Muwahhidun): the reality of the Testimony (al-Shahada) is that 'He is Him, yet He is not Her.' [i.e., The Essence is the Form, but the Form does not encompass the Essence].

A delegator (Mufawwid) and of compulsion (al-Jabr), not disputing, With me, for His ocular witnessing ('Iyan*) cannot be denied.*

He says: Among [these terms] is what they use to express the Form of Omnipotence (Surat al-Qahr) and Majesty, where attributes cease to persist upon the manifestation of the Essence.