This letter, written to Qâdî Nasrullah, explains the difference between the istidlâls of the ’ulamâ-i rasikhîn and that of other Islamic scholars:
Istidlâl means to infer the existence of the doer of the work by seeing the work, that is, to know the existence of the Creator by seeing creatures. The ’ulamâ-i râsikhîn and the ’ulamâ-i zâhir always perform istidlâl and say that creatures have been communicating [the existence of] the Creator. Those savants who, as stated in a hadîth, are prophets’ inheritors are called ’ulamâ-i râsikhîn. Not all the Islamic scholars are so. Those savants who are not râsikh understand the existence of the Creator by knowing the existence of creatures. They say that the existence of the work communicates existence of the doer. Thus, they believe in the existence of the doer. But the ’ulamâ’-i râsikhîn have passed beyond all the high
grades of Wilâyat, that is, of being Awliyâ, and have reached the grade of da’wat (call, invitation), which is peculiar to prophets. After the happening of tajallîs and mushâhadas in them, they, too, deduce the doer from the work. And through this way they believe the real doer, that is, have îmân in the existence of Allâhu ta’âlâ. After reaching the end, they realize that everything which they have found out through mushâhada and tajallî is not the real being but one of the shades of the appearances of the real being. “It cannot be believed as the real being. One cannot have îmân in the real being without istidlâl,” they say. By doing istidlâl, they go on searching for the real being without the shades coming between. Because they love the real being only and because they will sacrifice everything else for the real
being, they attain to the real being through such istidlâl. As it is stated in the hadîth, “A person will be together with whom he loves,” they attain to the real being, who actually exists beyond the tajallîs and zuhûrs, which are mixed with shades. Being pulled with the rope of love, these great people reach the true origin in person while the savants of zâhir reach there in knowledge only. An attainment happens which cannot be understood. The difference between these two types of attainments comes from love. He who loves and ceases from everything other than his beloved attains to his beloved. But he who does not have such a love only learns, knows about this attainment and considers this knowledge of his as a great blessing. However, such savants do not know precisely the
grade which
those great superiors have reached. And the ones who know only know the way that leads to that grade. Those who have reached have reached, attained completely, and have become united. As expressed by the following Arabic line, one of those superiors states:
The slave’s attaining to his Creator is like sugar’s being mixed with milk.
The first thing to be done is to be a slave and to get rid of other things by being a slave to Him.