Whenever Allah, the Exalted, distances you from people, know that He wishes to open for you the door of friendship with Himself.
Verse Translation
Whatever your Lord does to estrange you from His creatures,
Be certain that He desires to open for you the door of intimacy.
Explanation
The people of maʿrifa (experiential knowledge of God) have said: "Becoming accustomed to dealings with people is a sign of bankruptcy!" From this it is understood that the door of divine uns (intimacy, friendship) is opened through estrangement from people. For whenever the door of divine friendship is open, estrangement from people and the realization of unity in the presence of the Real (Allah) occur. The meaning of estrangement is to feel a constriction in the qalb (the heart) towards people, to become distant with the sirr (the innermost secret), and to see no benefit in existing things that could satisfy the heart.
When the sultan of the ʿārifūn (gnostics) who witness the wonders of the malakūt (the spiritual realm) and the secrets of the human world, Bāyazīd al-Bisṭāmī, was asked: "In your witnessing, have you found anything that would attract your attention and occupy you, something you liked?" he replied: "I have seen nothing that pleased me enough to distract me from the Real (Allah)!" In this way, he proved himself to be a chosen servant of Allah, the Exalted. In uns (intimacy), this state is a requirement for acquiring mastery in the maqām (spiritual station) of friendship and for abiding in the realm of sanctity.
Be intoxicated and free in the tavern of the soul,
Be independent in the house of pleasure from all four directions.