Fulfill the pilgrimage and the visitation to God; The fulfillment of the pilgrimage according to the language of scholars is the performance of its basic elements its practice its form and the shedding of blood which is required in it without curtailing any of the conditions. It is mentioned in the tafsīr literature that in both [the ḥajj and the ʿumra] you are forbidden from the dwellings of your family [until you have completed all the requirements]. In the language of allusion the pilgrimage is the quest qaṣd. The quest is to the House of the Real and the quest to the Real is first the pilgrim- age of ordinary people and second the pilgrimage of the elect. Just as the one who makes the pilgrimage through his [outward] self enters the consecrated state and stands [at ʿArafāt] circumambulates the House and runs [between ṣafā and Marwa] and then shaves [his head] so it is with the one who makes the pilgrimage through his heart. His state of consecration iḥrām [comes] from [his] sound resolve ʿaqd ṣaḥīḥ to undertake a pure quest qaṣd ṣarīḥ. He removes the clothing of his oppositional ten- dencies and his carnal passions. He then wraps himself in the two robes of patience and poverty. He abstains from pursuing his worldly fortunes [that is] the following of whims and he releases thoughts of desired things etc. Then [just as] as the [outward] pilgrim becomes increasingly unkempt and dusty likewise the traces of humility and submission appear upon [the pilgrim of the heart]. Then the talbiya of the innermost selves occurs in the response of every part of you. “The most excellent of the actions of the pilgrimage ḥajj are the sac- rificial blood-letting thajj and the crying out ʿajj.” The thajj is the pouring of blood [of the animal sacrificed] and the ʿajj is raising the voice in talbiya. Likewise the shedding of the blood of the lower self [comes] with the knives of opposition [to it] and the raising of the voices of the innermost self [comes] by continuously seeking [God's] help and with the beauty of responding [to the call]. Then [one] stands at the plains of nearness seeking perfection in the attributes of awe. The standing place of the [outward] selves is ʿArafāt while the standing place of hearts is the names and attributes ṣifāt belonging to the majesty of the essence dhāt at the time of intimate communications muwāṣalāt.
