This section from the verse of Light illuminates the path: The exemplification of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star. (Qur’an 24:35)

This star's brilliance mirrors the seeker's (murīd) proximity, reflecting their understanding of known and witnessed truths from the celestial book. Thus, Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm (AS), upon seeing a star, declared: This is my Lord. (Qur’an 6:76) This signifies the star as the initial point, not the ultimate destination. The star, while retaining its essence, undergoes transformations: from a star-star to a moon-star, culminating as a sun-star.

This sun, in the realm of witnessing (mushāhada), bestows illuminating knowledge, guiding one back towards alignment with the Divine Majesty. Each stage of this radiant exemplification provided by God unveils specific wisdom. When the star is perceived, some might describe it as a mere point, while others may hold it as a sacred secret within their hearts. The essence of the path depends on the level of comprehension of this dot.

An individual who realizes the truth of this dot possesses ʿilm al-yaqīn (knowledge of certainty) but has yet to attain ʿayn al-yaqīn (vision of certainty). ʿAyn al-yaqīn belongs to those who behold the rising moon, realizing the intricacies of ʿilm al-yaqīn through direct vision not mere reports.

Know, disciple, that you reside fundamentally within the essence of witnessing (mushāhada). Every space is graced with iḥsān (excellence) and can become a realm of vision and witnessing, where worship of Allāh "as if you see Him" is actualized. This as if (kāf) is understood, as explained earlier, by the people of Allāh as encompassing three distinct levels: the star, the moon, and finally, the sun. The star is attained through bayʿa (spiritual commitment), consistent dhikr (remembrance), sincere istighfār (seeking forgiveness), unwavering adherence to the qibla, dedicated ṣalāt (prayer), and disciplined ṣawm (fasting), along with the worship these practices cultivate. This is the realization of ʿilm al-yaqīn (knowledge of certainty), its core being the foundational level of the station of iḥsān, which encompasses the complete and utter devotion of the limbs (jawāriḥ) to worship accompanied by luminous witnessing.

All your deeds today – from ṣalāt and ṣawm to adhkār (remembrances), prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ, acts of worship, charity, and beyond – culminate in the bestowal of a luminous star disclosed within your essence. This star embodies the radiance of your inner light reaching this designated stage of ʿilm al-yaqīn.

Then, commensurate with the degree of the acts of the heart, which are the branches of faith (imān)—the first being the removal of harm from the path and the highest being the declaration of lā ilāha illā Allāh (There is no deity but Allāh)—comes the bestowal of the moon's ethereal light. This is distinct from the acts of the limbs and is attained only after mastering those acts with sincerity. The self which has mastered the body, now accustomed to these practices, ascends to the stage of the heart, yearning for self-observation and seeking stabilization upon faith from the Lord.

This heart, diligently engaged in the acts of the heart, becomes a recipient of the moon's luminous disclosure. By engaging in both the acts of the limbs and the heart, the luminous moon rises in the locus of the heart where it is witnessed. Witnessing this ascent signifies an individual's presence within the ranks and stages of the branches of īmān. In this stage, the heart is strengthened and anchored upon the radiant light of faith.

You disciples believe yourselves immersed in witnessing, yet your vision reveals only a star. This indicates a lack of engagement with the deeper, more profound acts of the heart, perhaps hindered by a specific obstacle. Even with days and nights spent in worship, your focus lingers on the outward motions of the jawāriḥ (limbs), leaving the inner garden of the heart untended. This is a crucial juncture for self-discovery. The true journey lies not in spoken parables borrowed from the words of realized masters but in realizing the very essence of your being. This vision, this witnessing, is a divine message—a guiding light from Allāh—meant to illuminate your station, to reveal your place in relation to His Divine Presence. It compels you to ask: Where do you stand in the presence of your Lord? The answer lies within the depths of your own heart. Yet, you remain engrossed in the acts of the limbs, failing to turn your gaze inward. And so, you remain shrouded in the darkness of your current state, struggling to witness the starting dot.

Should one embark on the path of bayʿa, witness the guiding star, and then experience its disappearance, the cause lies in neglecting the awrād (litanies), the adhkār (remembrances), and turning away from the sacred qibla, the Chosen One ﷺ. This deviation leads to a state of darkness and an inability to perceive the light. Engaging in supererogatory prayers, voluntary prayers (rawātib), standing in prayer, turning towards the Almighty, fasting, and embracing numerous litanies as instilled by your guiding Shaykh brings forth the illuminating star once more. These are the acts of the limbs—not yet the exalted station of iḥsān (excellence)—but nonetheless essential steps within the journey of worship.

And then, you must turn your attention to the moon. As you engage with its essence, it reveals itself to you, waxing from a delicate crescent until it blossoms into a radiant full moon, complete and luminous. You become immersed in the profound actions of the heart, fully engaged in the cultivation of your inner being. You embark on this journey, fasting from the first sliver of the crescent moon until the joyous arrival of Eid. On the blessed day of Eid al-Fiṭr, you break your fast. This is the true essence of the practice of engaging in actions of the heart, not mere feelings and talk. You break your fast not merely for sustenance but in recognition of the divine presence, and you fast not simply from food but from all that separates you from the divine. Thus, you abide with your Lord, nourished and sustained by His grace. It is not the outward act of abstaining from food—the fasting of the limbs—that holds true significance (while definitely being mandatory), but the inward journey, the fasting of the heart, that leads to true transformation.

Therefore, the movement of the moon through its phases, from one station (manzilah) to another, becomes apparent to you. This mirrors the fluctuation of the heart between God's two fingers, constantly shifting from one state to another: from good to evil, from contraction to expansion, until Allāh stabilizes this moon, rendering it like a luminous, full-moon night (laylah badriyyah).

Then, ascending beyond the moon, you arrive at the sun. Its light blazes forth, radiant and undeniable, as potent as the midday sun, filling your entire horizon until all you perceive is light upon light. And Allāh guides to His light whomever He wills. (Qur’an 24:35)

This is the sublime station of iḥsān (excellence), the sun. You glimpsed the sun, and then, in a fleeting moment of distraction, it was eclipsed. The "as if" of the similitude (tashbīh) struck, and heedlessness veiled your vision. Thus, you returned to the essential practices of the heart, and the sun, in its mercy, reappeared as the moon. Or perhaps you returned to the outward works of the limbs, and it reappeared as a guiding star. Or, in turning away completely from this light and this qibla, you descended into complete heedlessness and darkness.

This transformative journey is a profound blessing for those who seek to cultivate their inner selves. Your Lord, in His infinite mercy, has bestowed upon you a just scale, a compass of qisṭās (equity), to weigh and measure your soul. No further inquiries are necessary, for the path now lies illuminated before you. The truth has become undeniably clear.