Fanāʾ (annihilation in God) is the disappearance of pleasures to such an extent that the servant has no share left in anything, and, due to being preoccupied with that in which he has become fanāʾ, all things vanish, so that discernment (the state of distinguishing things) ceases to exist. As ʿĀmir ʿAbdullah has said on this matter: "Did I see a woman, or was it a wall?" The Real (al-Ḥaqq) protects him so that he does not turn towards anything other than Himself, directing him to his own duties and appropriate conduct. Thus, he finds no way to commit anything that would be against himself before Allah, for which he would be questioned, and he is protected from all forms of duality and contradiction. This is ʿisma (ʿisma: infallibility, divine protection). (Taʿarruf, 92)
Worldly blessings are of two kinds: the blessing of tawfīq (tawfīq: divine success) and the blessing of ʿisma. The blessing of tawfīq is, first, that Allah grants you success in Islam, then in the sunnah, and then in obedience. The blessing of ʿisma is that Allah protects you from kufr (kufr: disbelief), shirk (shirk: associating partners with God), bidʿa (innovation), misguidance, and other sins. (Minhāj, 82)
ʿIsma and iʿtiṣām (iʿtiṣām: holding fast, clinging, adherence) are of two kinds: holding fast to Allah and holding fast to the rope of Allah. If you are among those who hold fast to the rope of Allah, you are among those who cling to causes. If you are among those who hold fast to Allah Himself, you are among those who cling directly to Allah. Undoubtedly, among Allah's servants there are those who are elect. The people of Allah (ahl Allāh) distinguish themselves by adorning themselves with the attributes of the Real for the sake of Allah's creation. (Futūḥāt, IV, 404)
(See also: iʿtiṣām)