Most High, but they maintain that His speech and His speaking are not confined to this; rather, this occurs among creation at large. His speaking from behind a veil, however, or by sending a messenger, is exclusive to the prophets.

These proponents of philosophy regard prophethood as being of the same kind as what is attained by the learned philosophers whom they consider to have reached perfection. Consequently, many of the Sufis among these philosophers began aspiring to prophethood, or to what they regard as something higher. Thus, people have related to us that al-Suhrawardī, who was put to death, used to say: “I shall not die until I am told: ‘Arise and warn.’” Likewise, Ibn Sab‘īn used to say: “The son of Āminah was certainly hasty when he said: ‘There is no prophet after me.’”

Ibn ‘Arabī, the author of al-Futūhāt al-Makkiyyah, spoke of the Seal of the Saints, saying that he possesses greater knowledge of Allah than the Seal of the Prophets, and that all the prophets derive their knowledge of Allah from this so-called Seal of the Saints. Knowledge of Allah, according to them, means affirming the unity of existence, as is known from their statements. He also says:

“The station of prophethood lies between:
Just above the messenger, yet below the saint.”