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THE TAIMUMAN’ AL-ASHW AQ (LJI, L IIl) 139

COMMENTARV
1. ' Rtulwii,’ witli reference to the station of Divine
satisfaction (Li^l
‘ A pastm’e/ i.e. spiritual nourisliiuent.
2. ‘ Those whom I love,’ i.e. gnostics like himself.
4. ‘ The desert.’ i.e. the stations of abstraction (jo^^.^1).
‘ Their camels,’ i.e. the aspirations journeying away from
the body.
5. ‘ Az-Zawrsl,’ i.e. the presence of the Qutb.
‘ In front of them ’ : he means that he anticipates them in
Ilia thoyghts and wishes.
‘ Al-Jar'A’ i.e. a place where they sutler painful self­
mortification.
0. The gnostic seeks only that which is akin to himself.
7. ‘ Fear for myself,’ i.e. fear lest my ej^es should be dazzled
by the manifestation of my Beloved’s gioiy.
' Fear for her sake,’ i.e. fear lest her ears should be deafened
by the noise of my sobbing.

LIII
1. Whenever we meet to take farewell thou wouldst deem
us, as we clasp and embrace, to be a, doubled letter.
2. Although our bodies are dual, the eye sees only a
single one.
3. This is because of my leanness and his light, and were it
not for my moaning, I should have been invisible Uj
concealed in the other. The soul, bidding farewell to the
the eye.
COMMEXTAKY
1-2. The doubled letter is two letters, one of which is

body, says, ‘ We are in this case, for though we are really
two, we appear to be one.’ The soul loves the body because
all her knowledge of God is gained through her imprisonment
in the body and through her making use of it in order to
serve God. 'riie author also refers to the verse, ‘ I am he
whom I love and he whom I love is I.’