' Thou Art He '...

"And for this [realization of God's unity], the Prophet (upon whom be peace) said: 'Whoso knoweth himself knoweth his Lord.'

and he said (upon whom be peace), "I know my Lord by my Lord.'

The Prophet (upon whom be peace) points out that, that thou are not thou: thou art He, without thou; not He entering into thee, nor thou entering into Him, nor He proceeding forth from thee, not thou proceeding forth from Him.

And it is not meant by that, that thou art aught that exists or thine atributes aught that exists, but it is meant by it that thou [as limited self or ego, Arabic nafs] never wast nor wilt be, whether by thyself or through Him or in Him or along with Him.

Thou art neither ceasing to be nor still existing.

Thou art He, without one of these limitations.

Then if thou knowest thine existence thus, then thou knowest God; and if not, then not."


-Ibn 'Arabi
"Who Knoweth Himself...": From the Treatise on Being
Tr. by T. H. Weir
UK: Beshara Publications, 1976, pp. 4-5