and the leading figures of his school; to give sincere counsel to no Muslim or anyone else except members of his own religion; and to recognize his lord and imam through his manifestations in his lights and cycles, thereby recognizing the transitions of the Name and the Meaning in every age and era.

According to them, at the beginning of humanity, Adam was the Name and Seth was the Meaning; Jacob was the Name and Joseph was the Meaning. They claim to find support for this conception in what the glorious Quran relates about Jacob and Joseph—peace and blessings be upon them both. They say:

“As for Jacob, he was the Name and could not go beyond his station, so he said:

‘I will ask my Lord to forgive you.’

“Joseph, however, was the sought-after Meaning, so he said:

‘No blame will there be upon you today.’

“He did not make the matter dependent on anyone else, because he knew that he was the deity who directs all affairs.”

They identify Moses as the Name and Joshua as the Meaning, saying: “The sun was made to return for Joshua when he commanded it, and it obeyed his command. Can the sun be made to return for anyone but its lord?”

They identify Solomon as the Name and Āsif as the Meaning, the Powerful, the All-Powerful. They say: “Solomon was unable to bring the throne of Bilqīs, whereas Āsif was able to do so, because Solomon was the outward form, while Āsif was the Meaning, the Powerful, the All-Powerful.” One of them composed the following:

“Abel, Seth, Joseph, Joshua, Āsif,
Simon al-Safā, Haydar.”

They enumerate the prophets and messengers one by one in this fashion until the time of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—saying: “Muhammad is the Name and ʿAlī is the Meaning.” They continue this enumeration in the same order through every age down to our own time. Thus, part of the substance of their religious initiation is that ʿAlī is the Lord and that Muhammad is the Veil