THE INTELLECTUAL FACULTIES 121

in so far as it is the act of recollection (adh-dhikr) it is
directly connected with the intellect, for this act refers
implicitly to the timeless presence of the essences, al-
though they cannot appear as such in the mind. The
recapitulation of perceptions in recollection may be
inadequate and in a certain sense even must be so since
the mind is. subject to the attrition of time, but, if
recollection were not implicitly adequate, it would be
only pure illusion—something which does not exist.
If recollection can evoke the past in the present it is
because the present contains in virtuality the whole
extension of time ; all existential ‘“flavours” are con-
tained in the *flavourlessness’’ of the present moment.
This is what is realised by spiritual recollection (dhikr) :
instead of going back ¢ horizontally’ into the past it
addresses itself ““vertically” to the essences which
regulate both past and future.

The Spirit (ar-Ruh) is both Knowledge and Being.
In man these two aspects are in a way polarised as the
reason and the heart. The heart marks what we are in
the light of eternity, while the reason marks what we
“think”’. Seen from one angle the heart (al-qalb) also
represents the presence of the Spirit in both aspects, for
it is both the organ of intuition (al-kashf) and also the
point of identification (wajd) with Being (al-Wujud).
According to a divine saying (hadith qudsi) revealed
through the mouth of the Prophet God said: “The
heavens and the earth cannot contain Me, but the heart
of my believing servant does contain Me.” The most
intimate centre of the heart is called the mystery