They apply specifically to 'Ali, Muhammad, and Salman. The Commander of the Faithful, [there is no god but He] 1 , is the Meaning, the absolute Divinity [exclusively] 2 , outwardly and inwardly, and He is the inward reality of the letters of the Essence, and the outward reality of the nominal letters. Thus, the utterance belongs to the nominal domain, while the indication points toward the [spiritual] 3 Divinity, Mighty and Majestic. Whoever recognizes La ilaha illa Allah through this realization, both outwardly and inwardly, is among the companions of the Commander of the Faithful, majestic is his glory. Conversely, whoever fails to recognize this is among those concerning whom God stated: "And if you asked them, 'Who created the heavens and the earth?' they would surely say, 'God.' Say, '[All] praise is due to God'; but most of them do not know." 4
[48]Through the chain of transmission on the authority of al-Mufaddal ibn 'Amr, peace be upon him, who said: "