He was asked:

Did the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, “Increase me in bewilderment concerning You”?

Some of those who know Allah have said, “Knowledge of Allah begins in bewilderment and ends in bewilderment.” When asked, “What causes bewilderment?” the answer was, “Two things: the many changes in a person’s states, and the gravity of wrongdoing coupled with fear of falling into despair.”

Al-Wāsitī said, “An affliction descends upon the hearts of those who know Allah, leaving them between despair and hope. It neither gives them hope of attainment, so that they might rest, nor makes them despair of the quest, so that they might rest.”

One of them said, “When shall I reach the path of the hopeful, while I remain in the bewilderment of the bewildered?”

Muhammad ibn al-Fadl, a knower of Allah, said, “Whenever one passes from one state to another, astonishment and bewilderment confront him.” He also said, “Those who know Allah best are the most bewildered concerning Him.”

Al-Junayd said, “The intellect of the wise culminates in bewilderment.” Dhū al-Nūn said, “The ultimate end of those who know Allah is bewilderment.”

One of them recited:

“I am bewildered concerning You; take my hand,
O Guide of those bewildered concerning You.”

Please give us a clear and thorough explanation of this matter.