Furthermore, the barrier preventing particular souls from receiving the effusion of the Universal Soul all at once is their utter immersion within the ocean of Primary Matter (al-Hayula), and the accumulation of corporeal darkness over their insight, due to their intense inclination toward physical desires and their deception by material pleasures.

Whenever the soul awakens from the slumber of heedlessness, rouses itself from the sleep of ignorance, recovers from the intoxication of its blindness, regains consciousness from the stupor of its swoon, and begins to ascend through sciences and gnosis—remaining steadfast upon that state—it unites with the Universal Soul. It witnesses those intellectual lights and magnificent radiances, and it attains those spiritual pleasures and eternal, everlasting joys—all of which are more noble and loftier in station than whatever preceded them, yet accessible beneath whatever follows.

Verily, the existence of the universe proceeding from the Creator is not a detached part (juz') of Him; rather, it is a bounty He graciously bestowed, an effusion of generosity He caused to flow, and an action He performed after it had not been.