This being was called both a human being (insân) and khalif. As for his humanness, it comes from the universality of his organism and his ability to embrace all of the realities. He is in relation to Allah as the pupil, being the instrument of vision, is to the eye. This is why he is called insân. It is by him that Allah beholds His creatures and has mercy on them. So he is a human being, both in-time [in his body] and before-time [in his spirit], an eternal and after-time organism. He is the word which distinguishes and unifies. The universe was completed by his existence. He is to the universe what the face of the seal is to the seal - for that is the locus of the seal and thus the token with which the King places the seal on his treasures.

The angels are some of the faculties of that form which is the form of the universe, which the Sufis designate in their technical vocabulary as the Great Man (al-Insân al-Kabîr), for the angels are to it as the spiritual (rûhânî) and sensory faculties are to the human organism. Each of these faculties is veiled by itself, and it sees nothing which is superior to its own essence, for there is something in it which considers itself to be worthy of high rank and an elevated degree with Allah. It is like this because it has an aspect of the divine synthesis (jam'îya). In it is something which derives from the divine side and something which derives from the side of the reality of the realities. This organism carries these attributes as determined by the universal nature which encompasses the containers of the universe from the most exalted to the basest. However, the intellect cannot perceive this fact by means of logical investigation – for this sort of perception only exists through divine unveiling by which one recognises the basis of the forms of the universe which eceive the spirits.

I do not know whether or not you recognise that Shaytan has influence over the people of the Path. The Path has a living shaytan who has sway over its people always. He injures them. Opposition to him is truly turning to Allah and turning your back on him, as our master said, may Allah be pleased with him!: “The real attack against the enemy is your occupation with the love of the Beloved. When you are occupied with attacking the enemy, he gets what he wants from you and the love of the Beloved passes you by.” It is as Shaykh Qasim al-Khassasi said: “Do not be occupied at all with the one who abuses you. Be occupied with Allah and He will drive him away from you. He is the One who makes him move against you in order to test your claim to true sincerity. Many people have erred in this matter. They were occupied with the abuse of the one who abused them, and the abuse continued along with wrong action. Had they returned to Allah, He would have driven them away from them, and their proper business would have been enough for them.”