[46] قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص مَنْ عَرَفَ نَفْسَهُ فَقَدْ عَرَفَ...

[46] قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص مَنْ عَرَفَ نَفْسَهُ فَقَدْ عَرَفَ رَبَّهُ ثُمَّ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ بِمَا لَا يَصِحُّ الْعَمَلُ إِلَّا بِهِ وَ هُوَ الْإِخْلَاصُ (Amir-ul-Momineen -asws said) Prophet -saww said: Whoever recognises his ‘Nafs’ (referring to Amir-ul-Momineen -asws ), one, then is able to recognise one’s Creator -azwj ; that is to acquire the knowledge (from him -asws ) so one does good deeds while remaining faithful (in Wilayah of Masomeen -asws -which has been made Obligatory).

[47] Another word for Irfan- ‘the Maurifat’: مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ الْعَلَوِيِّ وَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنِ الْمُخْتَارِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُخْتَارِ الْهَمْدَانِيِّ جَمِيعاً عَنِ الْفَتْحِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَدْنَى الْمَعْرِفَةِ فَقَالَ الْإِقْرَارُ بِأَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ غَيْرُهُ وَ لَا شِبْهَ لَهُ وَ لَا نَظِيرَ وَ أَنَّهُ قَدِيمٌ مُثْبَتٌ مَوْجُودٌ غَيْرُ فَقِيدٍ وَ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ Muhammad ibn al- Hassan has narrated from Abd Allah ibn al-Hassan al- Alawi and Ali ibn Ibrahim from al-Mukhtar ibn Muhammad ibn al-Mukhtar al- Hamdani all from al- Fath ibn Yazid who said: Once, I asked Abu AI-Hassan -asws What is the minimum required degree of Irfan/Maurifat of the acknowledgement of the existence of Allah -azwj ?

[48] عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ طَاهِرِ بْنِ حَاتِمٍ فِي حَالِ اسْتِقَامَتِهِ أَنَّهُ كَتَبَ إِلَى الرَّجُلِ مَا الَّذِي لَا يُجْتَزَأُ فِي مَعْرِفَةِ الْخَالِقِ بِدُونِهِ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ لَمْ يَزَلْ عَالِماً وَ سَامِعاً وَ بَصِيراً وَ هُوَ الْفَعَّالُ لِمَا يُرِيدُ وَ سُئِلَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنِ الَّذِي لَا يُجْتَزَأُ بِدُونِ ذَلِكَ مِنْ مَعْرِفَةِ الْخَالِقِ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ وَ لَا يُشْبِهُهُ شَيْ‏ءٌ لَمْ يَزَلْ عَالِماً سَمِيعاً بَصِيراً Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad who from Tahir ibn Hatam that he wrote the following to Imam Abu Al-Hassan al-Reza -asws : (Imam -asws was asked) What is it that without which ones مَعْرِفَةِ الْخَالِقِ acknowledgement of the existence of Allah -azwj cannot be considered sufficient?