example struck by it. Allah Exalted Glory said: «O people, an example is presented, so listen to it. Indeed, those you invoke besides Allah will never create a fly, even if they gathered together for that purpose. And if the fly should steal from them a thing, they could not recover it from him. Weak are the pursuer and the pursued.»¹ So I knew that the fly was only created for the example struck by it.

I reflected on the saying of Allah Exalted Glory: «Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. Allah guides to His light whom He wills. And Allah presents examples for the people, and Allah is Knowing of all things.»² So Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, created everything so that it might point toward the knowledge of Him. Thus, the niche was a struck example pointing toward His Light.

Then my Master handed the jewel to the King and said: ‘Reflect upon it, O King, with the eye of your insight after you have seen it with your sight.’ The King saw it, and its radiance almost snatched away the sight. The King looked at it for a long time, then said: ‘I have seen it with my sight, but as for reflecting with the eye of my insight, it is not possible.’ My Master asked: ‘And why is that, O King?’ The King said: ‘Because of the intensity of its light.’ My Master said: ‘By Allah, it is so. So what knowledge have you attained of this jewel?’ The King said: ‘My knowledge of it does not reach beyond its exterior (ẓāhir). As for its interior (bāṭin), its perception and the attainment of its knowledge are hidden from me due to the weakness of my power and my incapacity. It is not within my ability to know anything other than its radiant exterior.’