They turn away and turn their backs. May blessings and peace be upon the prophets; they are superior to all other beings. The highest ranks are reserved for them. Walāya (walāya, friendship with God) is a part of nubuwwa (prophethood) and is included within nubuwwa. Nubuwwa encompasses walāya in every respect... (Maktūbāt, I, 101)
The first to clearly articulate tawḥīd-i wujūdī (the doctrine of the oneness of being) was Muḥyiddīn Ibn ʿArabī. Even if earlier shaykhs, in their expressions, explained tawhid (the oneness of God) and spoke of ittiḥād (union), it is possible to interpret these as referring to tawḥīd-i shuhūdī (the doctrine of the oneness of perception). Because nothing but the Real (God) is perceived, some (as part of ecstatic utterances) have said: Mā fī jubbatī siwā Allāh (There is nothing in my cloak but Allah), and some have said: Subḥānī mā...