In some passages of the Faṣūṣ the Shaikh* (may God show mercy upon him) seems to point to the view that the existence of all contingent substances and of all perfections dependent on that existence [* is to be ascribed to the Majesty of the “Truth” most glorious and most exalted; whilst in other passages he seems to say that what is ascribed to the Majesty of the “Truth” is merely an emanation* of Being; and as regards the qualities dependent on existence, they are effects produced by the substances themselves. These two statements may be thus reconciled: The Majesty of the “Truth” most glorious is revealed in two manners—the first the inward, sub­jective * revelation, which the Ṣūfīs name “Most Holy Emanation”;* it consists in the self-manifestation of the “Truth” to His own consciousness from all eternity under the forms of substances,* their characteristics and capacities. The second revelation is the outward, objective manifesta­tion, which is called “Holy Emanation”;* it consists in the manifestation of the “Truth”, with the impress of the properties and marks of the same substances.* This second revelation ranks after the first; it is the theatre wherein are manifested to sight the perfections which in the first revelation were contained potentially in the characteristics and capacities of the substances.

One grace a host of suppliant forms designed,
A second to each one his lot assigned;
The first had no beginning—of the last,
Which springs from it, no end can be divined.*

Wherefore, the ascription of existence and the perfections dependent thereon] to the “Truth” most glorious and most exalted has regard to the two revelations taken together; and the ascription to the “Truth” of existence alone, and of its dependents to the substances, has reference to the second revelation; for the only result of the second revelation is the emana­tion of Being into the substances, and so making visible what had already been included in them by the first revelation.

Mark well this subtle point—each quality,
Each action that in substances we see,
On one side is attributed to us,
On one to “TRUTH”, the sole Reality.