'UNVEILING': Mulla Sadra’s unparalleled words

Once a heedful person is awakened, either by himself or because of somebody else, so that he becomes interested in the tillage of the Hereafter and its trade, he should know that there are certain conditions that he has to observe in the beginning of his discipleship, and there is a certain stronghold that he has to hold on to, and a fortress in which he has to protect himself and keep himself safe from the enemies who want to obstruct his way.


He also has certain duties he has to observe at the time of his wayfaring.


The conditions are to lift the veil and the barrier that exists between the disciple and the Real, for people are deprived from meeting the Real because of the veils which accumulate and the barrier that falls in their path. The Exalted God says, ‘We have put a barrier before them and a barrier behind them, then We have blindfolded them, so that they do not see.’ [36:9]


And the veils are of four kinds: wealth, worldly rank, imitation and disobedience.

In order to lift the first [wealth], except for what is necessary, he has to separate himself from and abandon his possession, so that his heart would not be engaged by even a dirham, for he would be veiled from the Real to that extent.

To lift the second [worldly rank], he has to distance himself from the places of worldly rank, and to prefer humility and listlessness, and flee the causes of remembrance and fame.

To lift the third [imitation], he should refrain from following one sect in preference over another sect, and find out the truth of what he has learned as a result of imitation by spiritual struggle rather than debate.

The fourth [disobedience] is lifted by repentance and leaving the places of oppression and deciding not to return to them, and by regretting truly what has passed, compensating the wrong done to others and satisfying the opponents.


Unless the veils of sins are lifted though what has been said, the gate of unveiling would never be opened to the wayfarer.
Sadr al-Din Shirazi often known as Mulla Sadra