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If the curtain was unveiled nothing would be added to my certitude
Why then
should he show his fear of separation from the Beloved? What kind of separation
is this? What kind of unbearable ghurba is this? Imam Khumayni, in his forty traditions
when enumerating the levels of patience of the gnostics says: Another level
is that of sabr 'an Allah (sabr from God) whicn pertains to the stations of lovers
of God and piners for Him, of those blessed with epiphany (ahl al-shuhud wa al-
'ayan) at the time of returning to their own world, the world of plurality and
sobriety (after intoxication with God). This is the hardest and the most difficult
of the stations, and to it has referred the Master of the Wayfarers, the Commander
of the Faithful, and the Leader of the Perfect (i.e. 'Ali ibn Abi Talib ('a) in
the noble Du'a' Kumayl: 
O
my God, my Master and my Lord! Even if I were able to endure Thy chastisement,
how shall I bear Thy separation?! Perhaps the following dictum
of Imam' Ali ('a) also explains the reality of the matter:

The fire of separation is hotter than Hell Fire84

Hence
when we seek the return of all the strangers we must pray to Allah to: 1.
Return all those who have been driven out of their homes and suffer the pain of
separation 2. Return all the sinful folk back to the proximity of Allah,
which in reality is: (1) Perfecting the human being in terms of Divine Attributes
like knowledge, patience, etc" and (2) Lessening the gap ________________________
84 Mirath-e-Hadithe Shi 'e, v.8, p.217
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