It is nothing else. The hayāl-i muṭlaq (absolute imagination) is the barzakh (isthmus) between the absolute subtle and the absolute dense. The origin of the separated hayāl (imagination) that is called 'amā (cloud) is the Breath of the All-Merciful (nafas al-Raḥmān). For when the breath becomes dense, 'amā manifests. This, then, is the breath itself. The breath is not something added to the first consciousness.
Before the Real (al-Ḥaqq), with His Essence, related to His knowledge, all divine and cosmic ḥaqīqas (realities) were hidden in His Essence, without distinction of their levels in His knowledge and in their entities. However, they were in a state suitable for distinction there. This suitability arose from the absence of individuation in constriction and narrowness, and was restricted to the annihilation and disappearance of entities in the unity of the Essence. When the essential knowledge, which is identical with the Essence, related to all aspects of the Essence, the hidden levels of realities within itself became distinct, and the constriction and narrowness that existed due to their being hidden in unity disappeared. This knowledge of the Essence is nothing other than the ruling of mercy, which is identical with the wujūd (being/existence) that expands everything. This knowledge has been described as the Breath of the All-Merciful coming from Yemen to complete (perfection). This is pure vücüddan (consisting of being). (Asfār, 130)
When divine and cosmic realities became distinct from one another in the domain of essential knowledge, and all of these became the reality of knowledge, this select knowledge relates to the levels distinguished in the domain of essential knowledge, which are called aʿyān-i thābita (fixed entities), identical with the existence of entities and their external reality. This knowledge is the 'amā in which the forms of everything other than Allah overflow. In one sense, it is like its own hayūlā (prime matter). The first knowledge is the Breath of the All-Merciful, for it is precisely the hidden realities that it found due to hidden constrictions. When it separated from the subtle Essence of the Real and became dense, it became nothing but the 'amā found within the world. (Asfār, 131)
'Amā is nothing but the essential reality of realities. This reality cannot be described by ḥaqqiyyah (being the Real or attributes pertaining to the Real) nor by khalqiyyah (being creation or attributes pertaining to creation). For it is purely Essence, and cannot be ascribed to any level. It cannot be related to either ḥaqqiyyah or khalqiyyah. Since there is no relational aspect in it, it does not require any attribute or name to be given to it.
'Amā is the counterpart of the name aḥadiyya (Oneness). Just as in aḥadiyya, names and attributes dissolve, so too in 'amā. There is no manifestation of anything there. Likewise, in 'amā, no manifestation or appearance can be conceived for anything.
However, the difference between 'amā and aḥadiyya is this: aḥadiyya judges in the Essence for the Essence, according to what the Exalted Essence requires. This is the essential aḥadi manifestation. 'Amā, on the other hand, is the ruling that the Essence establishes in an absolute and general way. Thus, no meaning of height or lowness can be derived from it. In conclusion, 'amā is the amed-i maʿnevī (spiritual pillar).
'Amā is the essential 'amāi butūn (the hiddennesses of the Essence veiled in invisibility). Thus, it corresponds to aḥadiyya. The purity of the Essence in the matter of aḥadiyya is by manifestation (tajallī), while its purity in the matter of 'amā is by istitār (concealment).
The Exalted Allah is exalted above the concealment (istitār) of His manifestation in His Essence (remaining hidden to Himself without manifesting), or from manifesting to Himself while in a state of concealment (manifesting to Himself after being hidden to Himself). This state occurs according to the requirements of His Essence in matters such as manifestation and concealment, hiddenness and appearance, affairs and relations, consideration and attribution, names and attributes, and does not show any change or alteration. (Insān, I, 30)
Before Allah created creation, there was only Himself. All existents perished in Him. There is no manifestation of Him in any wujūd (existence). This is the kenz-i maḥfī (Hidden Treasure). The Prophet expressed this as 'amā with air above and below it. For among the aspects of the reality of realities, there is no aspect specific to any relation, such as higher or lower or anything else. This is the adnā (lowest), the yāqūta-i bayḍāʾ (white ruby). (Insān, II, 58)
(See also hayāl-i muṭlaq.)