The Exalted said: “They [seek to] deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceive not except themselves and they perceive [it] not.”, which is an indication toward what the hypocrites—who manifested Islam and concealed disbelief—were carrying out by way of deception toward our master—His might was mighty—and the believers among his followers, such as Muhammad, Salman, and Ammar. This was according to their assumptions and imaginations, but then their deception returned upon them as a bane due to what he would expose of their secrets and conspiracies, which I shall bring forth in its proper place, God willing. Otherwise,

what is the interpretation of their deception in reality with respect to Allah, the Exalted Essence, when He is a Ghayb (unseen) that cannot be perceived, seen, or known except through His traces and creation, as they say? For deception can only occur toward a visible, manifest person, and this is what occurred from them toward the visible image (al-surah al-mar'iyyah), which is the Holy Essence in its manifestation (tajalli). The proof of this is the saying of the Exalted at the end of the verse: “and they perceive [it] not”, meaning they do not perceive that the one they are seeking to deceive is their Lord and Creator, and that the consequence of their deception will return upon them.