This commendation supports the position of Ibn Shu’ba established in his book regarding the annulment of exoteric laws and other esoteric doctrines.

A similar meaning is also found in the book al-Haft wa al-Azilla (The Seven and the Shadows), in its thirteenth chapter, which concerns the knowledge of Purity (al-Safā’) and Election (al-Iṣṭifā’), and what exoteric deeds are dropped from the believer when he ascends to this station. As its narrator reports from the Master al-Sadiq—peace be upon them both:

Al-Mufaddal said: I said to my Master: "You have interpreted Purity for me and made it known; so what is the meaning of Election?"

He replied:

"Election is above the rank of the Prophets; it is the Message (al-Risālah) itself. God Almighty said: {Indeed, God chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of ‘Imran over the worlds—descendants, some of them from others. And God is Hearing and Knowing} (Ali ‘Imran: 33–34)."

I asked: "If one of them reaches this degree, does he ascend to another?"

He said:

"Yes, he ascends to the Veil (al-Ḥijāb), which is the first degree we mentioned." Then he recited: {And it is not for any human being that God