Should you think of Intellect as a substance having subsisted by itself at a time when things did not exist, neither body nor spirit nor anything [else], and that things came subsequently from that [state of non-existence] into existence, this would be a major delusion, an idea far from any reasonable argument and one close to wicked thoughts that induce men into error. If, [by contrast], you think of Intellect as being the ‘Mercy of God’ (raḥmat-i khudāy) which was poured out upon the creatures in such a way that every thing had a glitter from the light of the Prime Intellect in accordance with its own ‘measure’ (miqdār), be this a corporeal or a spiritual being, or a naturally generated composite—or let it be a Perfect Form (ṣūratī tamām), from which the forms become manifest (for it is by virtue of that ‘Form’ that one can claim Intellect to be the source for all beings to be (būdanīhā), and bring to evidence its issuing-forth (jastār-i ʾū) by pointing to the fact that its light is shining in [all] things)—if it is in this way that you think of the substance of Intellect, then your thinking is right.
Thus, Intellect is a light poured forth upon creation, shining in every thing, and its luminosity is in accordance with the measure of the substance of [each] thing, depending on the wide or narrow range of that substance. [What happens], then, [is this:] if the recipient of the light of Intellect is a single spiritual being, then Intellect’s impact on it turns out as love; if the recipient of Intellect’s light are the [elemental] composites, then Intellect’s impact on them turns into the seed of generation and corruption deposited therein, i.e., what occurs due to the motion of the composites [i.e., the minerals]; if, however, the recipient of Intellect’s light are the beings pertaining to natural generation, then Intellect’s impact is translated into [sheer] benefits, because of the [special] seeds deposited in them; and if the recipient of Intellect’s light is the human being, then Intellect’s impact on it turns out to be the fact that it desires permanence and longs for eternal life. From this point of view, it was necessary to plant the seed of both worlds into Intellect. Understand this!
Intellect becomes one with the Command of God when command is expressed as oneness
