"Muhammad is the master of the cosmos–all of it–and the first to emerge in existence. His existence was from that Divine Light, the Primordial Dust, and from the Universal Reality. In the Primordial Dust, his entity and the entity of the cosmos came to exist. And the nearest of men to him and the secrets of all of the Prophets was ‘Ali b. Abi Talib." [[1]]
—Ibn ‘Arabi
Disclosing the reality of the secret of ‘Ali
Our master Muhammad emerged in the divine Light
Before world, before creation, ‘Ali on his right
In the cosmic mirror, Muhammad was the Light’s reflection
And cascading from It was ‘Ali’s perfection
Join the detached letters, what do they say to you?
‘Ali siratu haqqin numsikuhu
You can cling to ‘Ali’s way—it is never too late
Go to the city of knowledge, but come through its gate
You deem yourself nothing, but you are a shining star
Brilliant, glittering, like the sword Zulficar
Take up arms, slay the ego, and be free
By the Kaba’s Lord, gain victory like ‘Ali, ‘Ali, ‘Ali.
[[1]]: Ibn ‘Arabi, al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya [Beirut: Dar Sadir, 1968], 1:119
