And if someone says to us: "We believe in the outward of the perceived spiritual image and its inward, and that the outward is the inward and the inward is the outward."

We say to him: This statement is only correct regarding the perceived image itself and nothing else. This is because He (the Exalted) is unlike any of the created beings. This is supported by what He (the Exalted) said in His Mighty Book: {Naught is as His likeness, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing} (Ash-Shura 11). Our Master, the Commander of the Faithful—peace be upon us from him—said regarding this meaning in his famous sermon in the book (Nahj al-Balagha): "Every 'outward' other than Him is not 'inward', and every 'inward' other than Him is not 'outward'." Every outward other than Allah (Glory be to Him) is not inward, and every inward other than Allah is not outward. As for Him (Glory be to Him), He is as He described Himself by His saying: {He is the First and the Last, the Outward and the Inward} (Al-Hadid 3). However, they do not see Him except through their own attributes, and that is according to their capacity; the cause is in the observer [Al-Nazir], not in the Observed [Al-Manzur]. He is the One powerful over the overturning of hearts and eyes as He wills and chooses. This outward prayer is nothing but a struck parable [Mathal] for us to use as evidence for the Inward, and for you to make it a veil over it only.