Then, from the essence of our master Salman, peace be upon him, proceeded the essence of our master al-Miqdad, peace be upon him. Thus, al-Miqdad, peace be upon him, is a receptive essence belonging to a receptive essence that proceeded from a receptive essence belonging to an essence that is never acted upon.

Each one of these three essences is a distinct, individual essence. Partnership (al-sharikah) and co-definition (al-tahadid) occurred between them only from the perspective of creation (al-khilqah), since each one of them is created in relation to the Creator, who is the Originator (al-Bari), given that whatever is beneath the Originator is created. We do not mean by "created" (makhluq) here that which is manufactured (masnu'), but rather we mean by it the receptive existent (al-munfa'il al-mawjud), according to the saying: "I brought you into existence, so bring into existence." For this reason, it is also valid for us to say: indeed, these three essences are a single entity, and the superiority of one over another is only by virtue of proximity to and distance from the Originator, the Exalted, and by virtue of the fact that some of them brought others into existence. And what aside from these three essences,