Takrīb is when the sincere sālik (traveler on the Sufi path) enters seclusion (khalwa) in accordance with its conditions, persists in dhikr (remembrance of God), and does not abandon dhikr until the nafs (the lower self) becomes accustomed to it through constant repetition, without any desire or intention. Even if he falls silent or intentionally ceases dhikr, he does not become separated from it nor depart from it; rather, dhikr continues to flow spontaneously. If the tongue falls silent and dhikr spreads throughout the body like nourishment dispersing in the body, this is not perceptible. There is a power in dhikr; even if this power disappears, its effect does not vanish. The flow and benefit of dhikr are understood in this way.
When this dhikr is attained, this power expands the dhikr, extending it to the arenas of Allah and to the utmost limits of His secrets. Thus, the lights of the Real (al-Ḥaqq) that unveil the veils of existence begin to appear to the person. This occurs according to his nisba (spiritual connection), his effort (gayra), his capacity, and the degree of his ikhlas (sincerity)—whether through spiritual insight and analysis, unveiling and representation, or expression and taʿlīm (instruction). In this way, he becomes privy to the treasures of the unseen. For he has now become a mirror and is eternally confronted with existence. After this unveiling, if he becomes preoccupied with or captivated by some of the marvels he witnesses, the murīd (aspirant, disciple) may stumble as a result.
In this ḥāl (spiritual state), he is entrusted (by Allah) and becomes steadfast. Thus, even before leaving the place of seclusion, he is brought to the forms of existents and the realities of unveiling. However, it also becomes clear at that point that these are not the ultimate goal. In every state, he realizes—fearing the wrath of Allah Most High and His rejection—that none of the stations in which he is addressed, visited, or maintained by the divine address is the intended destination.
When he becomes annihilated (fanāʾ) from existence and from witnessing the worlds, the existence of the Creator (al-Mukawwin)...