[124] What was reported from the Prophet—Exalted is His might—that he said: “Indeed, the sun has two faces: a face that serves the people of the heavens and a face that serves the people of the earth.” 1
Thus, the Imam is with all of creation; he is neither absent from them nor veiled from them. Rather, they are the ones veiled from him, and he is not veiled—“No! Indeed, from their Lord, that Day, they will be partitioned [veiled].”2 For the world, to the Imam, is like a coin in the hand of a man; he turns it however he wills.
❖ From Surah Ghafir ❖
Footnotes
1From Abdullah bin Mas'ud, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah—Exalted is His might—saying: "Indeed, the sun has two faces: a face that illuminates for the people of the heavens, and a face that illuminates for the people of the earth; and upon the two faces is an inscription." Then he said: "Do you know what that inscription is?" We said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: "The inscription that faces the people of the heavens is, ‘Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth,’ and as for the inscription that faces the people of the earth, it is, ‘Ali is the Light of the earths.’" (Source: Irshad al-Qulub by al-Daylami)
2Surah Al-Mutaffifin – Verse 15. And: "And You do not veil Yourself from Your creation, except that their evil deeds veil them from You." (Du'a Abi Hamza al-Thumali)