THE VEILS THAT SEPARATE THE SOUL FROM GOD
According to the interpretation that Sufis make of the revelation (the Quran), the created sensory world is made up of a set of veils that mask the Real, spiritual, and infinite world. These veils are precisely the reason why human beings experience themselves as separate from God (asfal safilin). Sufis divide these veils into two categories: dark veils and clear veils.
The dark veils are related to base passions and malevolent tendencies of all kinds. The clear veils, on the other hand, consist of chastity, exaggerated humility, and, in general, an excessive pursuit of all qualities and virtues that preoccupy the spiritual seeker to such an extent that they forget the real purpose of their search: the unity of Being.
Once the dark and clear veils are overcome, the seeker attains “lesser sanctity” and from there progressively ascends through various degrees of union until reaching perfect union with divinity, thus attaining “greater sanctity” and the perfection of the original universal human being (ahsan taqwim).
In Mahasin al-majalis by Ibn al-Arif, it is explained why the veil exists and separates the soul from the Light: “If the dark obscurity of the physical world did not exist, surely the light of the divine mystery would appear clearly. If the seductive temptation of sensual desire did not exist, the veil would surely be lifted. If earthly passions did not exist, spiritual realities would undoubtedly be revealed. If created causes did not exist, the divine omnipresence would shine with all its light. If effort did not exist, surely gnosis would be clear and pure. If the eagerness of desire did not exist, surely divine love would be deeply rooted in the soul. If some earthly passions still persisted, surely spirits would be consumed by passionate love for God. If there were no flaw in the servant, surely the Lord would be seen. Thus, when these occasional causes are interrupted and these earthly passions are removed, the veils fall, and obstacles are eliminated, what the poet has already said happens:
«A secret has been revealed to you that had been hidden from you for a long time; a dawn has shone of which you were the darkness. Indeed, you are the veil that hides the secret of your own mystery from your heart, for it is you who seals your heart to conceal it. If you depart from your heart, it settles within itself, and its tents are pitched on the summit of the sacred revelation. And a divine conversation takes place, never boring to listen to, and its verses and prose become ardently desired by us».
Source: Shiva Shambho
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