6-Nafsi Mardiyya

At this level is manifested the bond between the Creator and the
created, with a love common to both. The Creator finds in the per-
fect man the qualities which He has bestowed on him when He
created him, as He says,

"Certainly we created man in the best form. . ."

His own Beautiful Names, His Attributes which He taught to our

father Adam, become manifest in the seeker. Thus the perfect
man who has attained the level where he deserves Allah's pleasure
has lost all of his physical animal characteristics as well as his im-
perfect human aspects under the command of his ego. Now Al-
lah's Divine Attributes are manifest in him, and he sees the Real
Reality, the Truth, because he is blessed with Ayn al Yaqin, Certi-
tude. He sees beauty in everything, loves everyone, forgives the
faults of those who do not know, he is compassionate, generous,
giving, never asking, serving with all he has to bring others to the
light of the soul, and to protect them from the dangers of their
egos and the darkness of their worldliness. All this he does for Al-
lah's sake and in His name.

It is difficult to recognize these beings. Their state cannot be de-

scribed in words. They cannot be compared to concepts one ordi-
narily knows. One identifiable characteristic particular to them is
that they are always in a state of perfect balance, like the center of
a circle, like the fulcrum of a balance: right in the middle, neither
more nor less, the medium. Allah asks usto, the Prophet (saws)
advises us to, everyone wishes to, but no one succeeds in achiev-
ing this goal of balance except these perfect ones.

7-Nafsi Safiyya

In the middle of everything, having found the center, the soul

finds its proper place. It is a point, without length or width, not
covering any area or space. Thus it is pure. There is no wish, no
claim. It is the beginning and the end. As it is with the dot under
the Ba and the dot over the Nun, all knowledge is contained with-
in it. When the being who possess this pure soul moves, his
movement is beneficent power; when he talks it is wisdom, and
music to the ears; when he appears it is beauty and joy to the be-
holder. His whole being is worship; every cell in his body is in
continuous praise of his Lord. He is humble. Although he is sin-
less, he sheds tears of repentance. His joy is to see man reach for
his Lord; his pain is to see him go astray. He loves the ones who
serve Allah more than anything. He is angered at the ones who
revolt. All he wants for mankind is what Allah wants, and he fears
for the fate of the faithless. He is just, more than just! He is the
one who will intercede for the sinners.

Allah knows best. May He guide us to the Straight Path and lead
us to levels which meet His approval and give us patience, perse-
verance, strength and wisdom to succeed in the Path. Amin.