[38]And his statement, majestic is His glory: 'Our affair is a hidden secret, yet when it manifests, it can scarcely remain concealed.'
By 'worship in secret,' He merely intended a command from Him to observe precautionary dissimulation (taqiyyah), concealment, and the veiling of His affair rather than its public proclamation.
[39]just as our master, the Commander of the Faithful, majestic is his glory, said to the Jews and Christians when they affirmed to him the spiritual reality [and servitude] 1 ; they said to him: "O our master, shall we remain upon our religions?" He, majestic is his glory, replied: "Worship God within the pure depths of your consciences, for you are in a time of obscurity and concealment wherein God has hidden Himself and veiled His knowledge. Thus, when He manifests, you shall manifest. Indeed, faith and affirmation remain permanent within the heart and the soul, whether you stand or sit,