The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 85
84 Ā'ĪNA-E-KAMĀLĀT-E-ISLĀM―DĀFI‘UL-WASĀWIS iron beneath itself, such that the physical eye perceives nothing but the fire. This is the stage at which some seekers stumbled and misunder- stood the symbolic union as being an actual, physical union. AUTHOR'S MARGIN NOTE Children of Allah Some Sufis have designated the 'Auliya'ullāh [Friends of Allah] who reached the stage of liqa, or who partook even a sip of it, as the Children of Allah on account of the fact that such people are completely immersed in the protective lap of the attributes of Allah. Just as a son has some resemblance to his father in his form and features, in the same way, they, too, in consequence of having adorned themselves reflectively with certain attributes of Allah, acquire some resemblance to the beautiful attributes of God Almighty. Such titles are not used explicitly in the idiom of the Shariah, but those invested with the quality of spiritual cognition have derived them from the Holy Quran, as Allah, glorified be His eminence, has said: 1 فاذكروا الله كَذِكرِكُمْ أَيَّاءَكُمْ أَوْ أَشَدَّ ذكرا ! Meaning that: Remember Allah the Exalted as you remember your fathers. It is obvious that if the metaphorical use of these expressions had been forbidden by the Shariah, God Almighty would have kept His Word entirely free from such expressions as might have provided a justification for others to use them. AUTHOR'S MARGIN NOTE Miraculous Signs of the Messengers of Allah At this stage of liqā, a person sometimes performs certain actions which appear to be beyond human capacity and possess the nature of Divine power. For instance, our Chief and Master, the Chief of the Prophets, Hadrat Khatamul-Anbiya' [the Seal of the Prophets], 1. Surah al-Baqarah, 2:201 [Publisher]