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As for the union of the servant’s being with the Lord’s being—or, indeed, the union of one servant’s being with another’s—or one reality dwelling within another, as water dwells within a vessel: this is unquestionably false. Indeed, it is false even of one servant in relation to another: their beings do not unite, nor does the being of either dwell within the being of the other. This is the error into which the proponents of union and indwelling have fallen, among Christians and others, including extremists within this religious community and other communities. It involves a newly arising union between two beings that were distinct and then became united, or the indwelling of one within the other. This is plainly false.

More false still is the assertion of someone who says:

“It has always been one, and there is no multiplicity whatsoever. Multiplicity exists only in the veil. When the matter was unveiled, I saw that I myself and everything are Allah.”

This applies whether he maintains unity without qualification, the unity of absolute existence but not particular existence, or the unity of existence but not of the fixed entities in the state of nonexistence. These doctrines, and those preceding them, are the doctrines of the people of disbelief and misguidance, just as the first view is that of the people of faith, knowledge, and guidance. And as for those who reject what is true in these matters or believe what is false,