zahir

It is He who bestows from on high
clear messages unto this His servant,
to lead you out of the deep darkness into the light:
for, behold, God is most compassionate towards you,
a dispenser of grace.
Al-Hadid 57:7, tr. Asad

When a dispute arises as to the ownership of the husk,
the husk belongs to the one who possesses the kernel.
The heavenly sphere is the husk;
the light of the spirit is the core.
This sky is visible; spirit is not;
but don’t stumble because of this.
The body is manifest;
Life’s spirit is hidden:
the body is like a sleeve;
the spirit is the hand.
Rumi, Mathnawi II;3251-3252, tr. Asad

 

 

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