What He made lawful and commanded to be practiced, encouraged, and striven for represents Persons whose obedience is mandatory, and whose recognition, pleasure, and protection must be sought.

Furthermore, He—Glory be to Him—is too Mighty and Exalted to place His wrath, disobedience, anger, or punishment in mere eating or drinking that ends in waste; these are things that neither benefit nor harm Allah. He is far too Great to place His pleasure and mercy in [physical] travel, standing [in prayer], the hunger of the liver, or the thirst of the body—for these are things that neither harm nor he said: "Severing him from the People of the Outward (Ahl al-Zahir)."

I said: "My Master, and what is his 'severing'?"

He said: "His veiling (hijab) from them, his silence, his concealment (kitman), and his certainty."

I said: "And his movement?" He said: "His awakening from the slumber of heedlessness, thus he regained consciousness."

I said: "My Master, inform me about the shaving (al-halaq)?" He said: "It is the disclosure (al-kashf) and his emergence from the Outward to the Inward. In another aspect, it refers to the transmuted forms (al-hayakil al-mubaddala)."

I said: "My Master, what of shortening the hair?" He said: "Dissimulation (Taqiya)."