(Qurb al fara'id) is the second lowest of the four stations of Perfection. The slave who performs the obligatory works attains this proximity. While retaining his own properties his reality is annihilated in Allah. Allah manifests Himself with His Name, the Outward, so that the lover remains hidden within Allah. The subject and agent is Allah and the lover's hidden presence is manifested by his becoming Allah's faculties. The lover becomes the Beloved's sight, hearing . . .
(Hudur) is the heart's presence with Allah when it is absent from everything else. The slave can never be present with Allah except through one of His Beautiful Names and in so doing a state of perfect spiritual courtesy is maintained.
(Ar Rasikhun fil 'ilm). These are the divine sages who possess correct knowledge of themselves and their Lord and Master, Allah. When their Master, Allah Commands them to do something they occupy themselves totally until the task is achieved. On completing that task they then come under the command of a specific Divine Name. In times of weakness the Divine Name, the Gentle, takes them under its command. When they require help the Divine Name, the Helper, gives them their designated amount of help. And so on with all of the Names, until Allah Calls to them. Then once again they occupy themselves totally with His Command. This is the meaning behind the slave occupying himself with the supererogatory worship and works until he hears the call to the obligatory prayer. At that time all supererogatory works are forbidden. When the Essence Commands him to do a task the slave is forbidden to receive his wages from a Divine Name. Those deeply rooted in knowledge (Ar Rasikhun fil 'ilm) know this!
