the seer became the One seen. Thus, according to them, it was not Moses who saw Him; rather, He saw Himself through Himself. This is also what they claim for themselves. Yet union and indwelling are false. Even according to those who profess this, it occurs only inwardly, in the heart, not outwardly. At most, it amounts to what the Christians say about Christ, yet they have not claimed that anyone saw the inward divine nature clothed in human nature.

This error occurs frequently among those treading the spiritual path. They experience things inwardly and imagine that these exist outside themselves. In this respect, they resemble speculative philosophers and others who fall into error: they conceive things in their minds, such as universals, abstract entities, and the like, then imagine that these exist externally, whereas they exist only in their minds.

For this reason, Abū al-Qāsim al-Suhaylī and others say:

“We seek refuge in Allah from philosophical syllogisms and Sufi fantasies.”

This is why so many contradictions appear in the statements of both groups. As for those who combine unsound philosophical views with worthless Sufi fantasies, such as Ibn ʿArabī and his like, they are among the most misguided people on earth.

Al-Junayd, may Allah be pleased with him, the leader of the Sufis, was an imam of guidance who understood what some spiritual wayfarers experience. Thus, when asked about tawhīd, he said:

“Tawhīd is to distinguish the originated from the eternal.”

He thereby made clear that one must distinguish what has a beginning from what has none, warning against indwelling and union. Then came