(Hijab). A veil or curtain. Everything that hides the object of your search from your eye. Hijab hides Allah from man, the outer form of a thing veils its inner meaning. In the initial stages of the Journey of Return to the Source the traveller is veiled by the outward aspect of existence from its inward aspect. In the middle stages, which are dominated by spiritual intoxication, he is veiled by its inward aspect from its outward aspect. In the later stage, where spiritual sobriety dominates, neither inward nor outward aspects veil him from Allah, Who he sees everywhere. Allah has precious friends Whom He does veil from the rest of His creation through His jealousy for them. And He has 'veiled ones' who must be concealed because the Light which emanates from them is so dazzling that it would burn away the sight of the viewer. "If the reality of the Sufi was to be unveiled he would be worshipped".