90 AN INTRODUCTION TO SUFI DOCTRINE

the heaven which He built...?” (Quran LXXIX, 26).
The microcosm, which corresponds to the Divine Name
““The Inner” (al-Batin) is perfect by its central nature.

In the sight of the Essence, which is one, the
universe is like a single being. The essential unity of
the world is the most certain of things but also the most
hidden : all knowledge and every perception, however
adequate or inadequate, presupposes the essential Unity
of beings and of things. If beings of different kinds
perceive the universe differently according to differences
in their perspective and in conformity with their level
of universality, they none the less do perceive it really,
for the reality of the universe cannot readily be dis-
sociated from the reality of their vision and this reality
is one although diverse in itsaspects ; itis simultaneously
present in the subjects who know and in the objects
known. Again, duality, and discontinuity are of the
nature of the world ; to see the world means not to see
the Essence; to contemplate the Essence means not to
see the world.

Among all the beings of this world man alone has
a vision which in virtuality includes all things; other
organic beings only have a partial vision of the world.
Admittedly the direct and immediate content of human
perception embraces only the surrounding corporeal
world, but, on its own level of existence, this represents
a relatively complete picture of the whole universe.
Through sensory forms man conceives both subtle forms
and spiritual essences. It may thus be said that man,
who is a microcosm, and the universe, which is a macro-