Manuscript volume 27 · Page 207

the settings know who made what he mentioned—women and perfume—beloved to him^[91], and placed the delight of the eye in prayer. For he prays while witnessing the One before whom he stands in intimate discourse, from the presence and setting of taking form. There is address, response, and acceptance within it, and this occurs only in witnessing the taking of form, for he is in a setting that combines witnessing and speech.

(Correspondence and the Locus of Generation)

Since correspondences entail the inclination of one corresponding thing toward another, the one who made it beloved was the very corresponding one. Correspondence may be essential or accidental. Women are the locus of generation, while the human being, by virtue of the form, must be active and must have a locus in which to act. For his perfection, he wishes nothing but perfection to issue from him, as with the original, who “gave each thing its creation” [Ta Ha 20:50], which is that thing’s perfection. Nothing is more complete than the human being’s existence, and this comes about only in women, whom God has made a locus. Woman is a part of man through the passive reception by which she came forth from him. Women were therefore made beloved to the complete man.

Since woman, as I have mentioned, is the very rib of man, the locus in which what was generated within her was generated was nothing but himself. His like thus issued from him only within his own entity and self. Consider how wondrous this matter is! Whoever attains such knowledge has inherited from the Prophet, peace be upon him, in this being made to love, from this perspective.

(All-Merciful Breaths and the Name the Good)

As for perfume, it belongs to breaths, and breaths are All-Merciful, for the Messenger of God, God’s blessings and peace be upon him, says,