reply: "Do you know the Master better than I? By His command I spoke, by His will I called out, and to Him, by His permission, I summoned."

The Sage [al-Sadiq]—peace be upon him—said regarding this meaning: "Do not withhold wisdom from its [rightful] people, lest you wrong them; and do not give wisdom to those who are not its people, lest you waste it."

This means: speak plainly regarding gnosis to the people of affirmation (ahl al-iqrār), but use obfuscation (talbis) with the people of denial. As for the meaning of his [Ibn Saba's] saying: "For which blessing then should I thank You, and with what tongue shall I mention You for lifting from me the burdens and removing from me the shackles which You have made binding upon others...?"—this is an instruction to the believers who affirm the Divinity (Ma‘nawiyyah) of the Commander of the Faithful. It informs them that He (Almighty) has not obligated them to perform these exoteric duties—which are burdens and shackles upon the people of disbelief and delusion—when they are in seclusions (al-khalawāt) or among fellow believers, ever.