O people, you are the poor toward God, and God is the Unneedy, the Praiseworthy. Know that poverty is of two sorts: the poverty of created nature and the poverty of attributes. The poverty of created nature is general, belonging to every newly arrived thing that has come into existence from nonexistence. The meaning of poverty is need. Every created thing needs the Creator-first for creation and second for nurture. Thus you know that God has no needs or requirements, and everything else has needs and requirements. This is why the Exalted Lord says, “God is the Unneedy, and you are the poor” [47:38]. As for the poverty of attributes, that is what the Lord of the Worlds said: “the poor emigrants” [59:8]. He specified the Messenger's Companions for this poverty and praised them for it, as He said: “For the poor, who are constrained in the path of God” [2:273]. He named them poor to disguise the wealth of their state and so that no one would know of their wealth. This is as they say: “Call me Arsalan so that no one will know who I am.” The Pir of the Tariqah said, “Friendship is built on disguise. The name 'king' for Solomon is the disguise of poverty. 'Disobedience' for Adam is the disguise of being chosen. The blessings that clothed Abraham disguised bosom friendship. This is because the stipulation of love is jeal-ousy. Friends do not show their state to just anyone.” Someone without an iota of being, who never gazes on the two worlds and who always keeps God's gaze before his eyes is called poor, for he lacks everything and is wealthy through the Real. One must have wealth in the breast, not in the storehouse. The poor man is he who sees no hand- hold in the two worlds other than the Real and does not gaze upon himself. He has recited the prayer of the dead over his own essence and attributes-as that chevalier said: “Endless passion has nothing to do with a heart that stays firm in its own attributes. When someone steps into the field of passion for the beautiful, night and day will recite for him the prayer of the dead.” [DS 209-10]
