there is no god but You." Toward Him every believer points as he recites during his prostration: "O Ali, to You belongs all worship; O Ali, to You belongs all testimony..." etc.

As for the manner of pointing toward the Essence of our Master, the Prince of the Faithful, glorified is his glory, with Abstract Reality (al-ma‘nawiyyah) and servitude: verily, pointing toward Him with Abstract Reality is invalid except after declaring Him transcendent above that which the physical, fleshy eyes (al-a‘yun al-shaḥmiyyah) perceived, and after negating all the human conditions and states that He caused to flow upon His Sublime Essence.

Whosoever points toward Him on the basis that He is a physical form and body—exactly as he perceived Him—it is as though he has worshipped idols, according to the statement of our Master al-Sadiq, glorified is his glory:

“The worship of Allah through physical bodies is akin to the worship of idols.”

Therefore, negation and affirmation (al-nafy wa-l-īthbāt) are absolutely indispensable, for our noble doctrine is built upon this fundamental principle. We must recognize what to negate and what to affirm so that our worship becomes sound.