Allah, the Almighty, said:

{…And you threw not, [O Muhammad], when you threw, but it was Allah who threw…} [al-Anfâl 8:17]

Union ⁸³⁴ is that which ends all dispersion, terminates all allusions, looks beyond the water and clay ⁸³⁵after true establishment, clearance of variation, deliverance from beholding the duality and suffering the faultiness, and ceasing to observe all of them. It is of three levels:

Union is that which ends all dispersion, terminates all allusions, looks beyond the water and clay⁸³⁵ after true establishment, clearance of variation,⁸³⁶ deliverance from beholding the duality and suffering the faultiness,⁸³⁷and ceasing to observe all of them. It is of three levels:

1. the union of knowledge,


2. then the union of actuality,


3. then the essence of union.

As for the union of knowledge, it is the utter vanishing of the knowledge of demonstrative proofs into the ladunni knowledge. ⁸³⁸

As for the union of actuality, it is the complete dissolution of the end of connectedness into the essence of actualization. ⁸³⁹

As for the essence of union, it is the real vanishment of the referents of allusions into the essence of the Real. ⁸⁴⁰
Union is the end of all stations of the seekers, and it is the shoreline of the ocean of tawḥeed.

⁸³⁴The valid concept of union (which is different from the heretical beliefs of ḥulool and ittiḥâd, translated as Divine indwelling and union) is when your will conforms completely to His so you are one with Him in purpose, uniting and dedicating of all your love, reliance, and obedience to Him, the only deity worthy of worship (uloohiyah). It also refers to the state of being with Allah, cut off from worldly pursuits and cravings. Additionally, it refers to observing the unity of ruboobiyah (Lordship): the oneness of the Real, the Eternal, the First, the Origin, the Source, the Ultimate Effector, the Self-Sufficient One, and observing that while all else (ghayr) is true because He is the True Creator, they are contingent upon His will and manifestations of it. All events in the universe are also real but again, they are nothing but products and manifestations of His names.
Farqفرق (separation, distinction, difference, variance) is the opposite of jam‘. When it means separation from Him or tafarruqتفرق (meaning diversion, dispersion, and distractibility), it is obviously negative. However, when it means distinction (as when one observes the multiplicity of the creations and created phenomena), then it is not negative unless it causes tafarruq.
One must be aware of jam‘ and farq in the sense that he or she must observe the multiplicity from their angle, because what Allah wants form us varies according to our circumstances. For example, one must distinguish between His commands and prohibitions and His decrees that He likes—such as the faithfulness of the believers—and His decrees that He dislikes—such as the rejection of the disbelievers. Noticing the farq (variances, differences, distinctions, multiplicity) in these things is essential while acknowledging the unity of the Origin, the Maker, the Owner, and the Controller, and working towards your jam‘ (togetherness) with Him. The observation of these differences will enable you to move to the highest level of ‘uboodiyah (servitude), where your highest pursuit is not what you want from your Lord, but what He wants from you. The comforting intimacy (uns) you feel during dhikr (remembrance) will not then keep you from walking to the masjid to catch the jamâ‘ah (congregational prayer) or entertaining your guests when they arrive or tending to the needs of your family, etc. You are doing all that because it is what He wants of you in those circumstances. Your distinction between good and evil will keep you from being indifferent to them, but your realization that all are His creations will allow you to defer to His wisdom and keep your heart at ease, knowing that He is in control and trusting His plans while working in compliance with His command to promote what is good and fight what is evil.
⁸³⁵ Looking beyond matter, or beyond the connections with other humans, which are the most ardent attachments that hold us back from realizing our spiritual potential.
⁸³⁶ Being influenced by worldly variables and having variable conditions of the heart.
⁸³⁷ He probably means the duality of the Creator and creation, the command and decree, the cause and the effect, the good and the evil, and ascending to beholding the Source alone. This is correct as far it refers to the heart’s certainty in the oneness of the Source, but not that the distinction between His decrees (such as the disbelief of the disbelievers and His commands like faith and obedience) is inferior. In fact, this is an essential requirement of faith. It also does not mean that the proper engagement of the causes is inferior. This was the way of the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions. Observing the cause and effect keeps our feet firm on the ground, aware of our realities, fulfilling the agency that He entrusted us with; but stopping there creates dualism in the heart, which may see the causes as final effectors or effective in and by themselves. This dualism may be healed only by observing the Creator of all things as the first and final Cause and Creator of all causes, effects, and causal relationships.
⁸³⁸ The knowledge of demonstrative proofs of Allah’s written and seen signs is the basis of knowledge. It is not to be replaced by the Divine inspiration of the hearts of the knowers but only complemented and augmented. However, experiential faith is the one that is never shaken.
⁸³⁹ Refer to Station 89: al-Ittiṣâl. In the pursuit of complete annihilation of the ego, which the sheikh seems to consider a necessary phase, the allusions in the third phase of this station will now also vanish in the actualization of complete return to the point of pre-eternal singularity.
⁸⁴⁰ As usual, in this phase the sheikh invites to complete mental self-annihilation, where there are no allusions and referents because there is no one to allude or refer to.