Bayda') from the eye of the sun at its rising, in the Image of al-Anza' al-Batin and its attributes.

And he says [in verse]:

Thus creation remains confounded

With eyes fixed upon the Essence.

This is the clearest proof that the Visible Image is the Essence (al-Dhat), and that those names are His names in the esoteric realm (al-Batin) and among His people.

He [Abu Sa'id] says: "Our Sheikh al-Khasibi (Peace be upon him) demonstrated the falsehood of those who claim that the Visible Image is 'produced' (Maf'ula), 'originated' (Mukawwana), or 'contingent' (Muhdatha). This is found in his reply to Ibn Shu'ba: 'I say without concealment—and I seek refuge in Allah from addition or subtraction—if the Hidden state (al-Ghayba) is Ancient, then all manifestation is contingent, except for His manifestation in the Anza'iyya [Image]; for in it, the Lord appeared in [the state of] Ancientness (al-Qidam).'"

Thus, he [al-Khasibi]—may Allah illumine his face—clarified that everything to which the name "manifestation" or "entity" (A'yan) applies—including all other persons and forms—is contingent, with the sole exception of the Anza'i Image.

Had the matter been as the ignorant one claimed—that the Image is "produced"—the Sheikh (Peace be upon him) would not have isolated it from contingency (al-Hadath), for every "produced" thing is "contingent."