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cannot be obtained. On the contrary, God, the
most High, stands not in need of that revelation of
things, on account of the purity which is inherent
in him; but his essence is the principle of that reve-
lation; that is, his essence and attributes are one.
On this account, the Amir of the believers, All,
said:

'* The perfection of the belief in the unity of God consists in the
" negation of attributes."

The lord Shaikh Baud Kais'eri says in the Sherah-
fesus, "Commentary upon the bezels :"i the know-
ledge of God the most High, in his essence, is the
identity of the essence, and the knowledge of this
world is that of the forms of things in it, whether
generally or partially; and if one essence is said to
be the receptacle of manifold things, this acceptation
is not to be feared, as the things are identic with God
according to the acceptation of" existence/' and in
truth are different only according to.the acceptation
of being either involved or manifested. Further, in
reality, there is neither state nor place, but there is
one object exhibited under forms of decoration and
portraiture by external appearances. Kasd, '' God's

1 Fesus' ol hikem, " the bezels of philosophemes," is one of the most
celebrated works composed by Mohi eddin Ibn Arabi, upon whom see a
subsequent note. This work was commented, not only by the above-
mentioned Baud Kais'eri (of Caesarea), but also by Anif-eddin Telmesani,
and others.— See Baron von Hammer's Geschichte des Osm. Reiches,
//«r Band. Seite 657.1