originated (Muhdath), except for the Anza'i Form alone. He has excepted it and rendered it Pre-eternal (Qadima).'

And he says: 'I have derived from his saying: "For within it, the Pre-eternal Lord manifested," that they believe this very Appearance and Form to be the manifestation of the Lord in His Pre-eternity; and She is the Essence itself and the Inaccessible Unseen.'

And he [the Sheikh] says: 'From there, the Anza'i Form is witnessed—that which never departed from its Majesty (Kibra'iha), even though it appeared to the eyes.'

And he says: 'Among the proofs he used [is that] the Visual Form is the One Meaning (al-Ma'na al-Ahad), and that She does not enter into Numerical Counts (al-A'dad).'

And he says: 'If the Visual Form is indeed the One Meaning, She cannot be subject to numbering.'

And he says: 'Had the Visual Form been mentioned among [ordinary] persons—as was claimed by the deficient, ignorant, lost, and bewildered [one]... etc.'

And he says: 'The questioner asked: "Does He have veils other than these?" The Scholar—mighty is his glory—replied: "Yes, Veils for Himself specifically, from the Light of His Essence; in every heaven, there is a veil."