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Know that, by the consensus of the People of the Sunna and the Community and the majority of the masters of the Path—may God's mercy be upon them all—the prophets, and those of the saints who are preserved (from sin), are superior to the angels. This is contrary to the Mu'tazila, who declare the angels more excellent than the prophets and say: 'They are loftier in rank, more subtle in constitution, and more obedient to the Truth—exalted and sanctified be He—so they must be more excellent.'

We say: the reality is contrary to your outward view, for an obedient body, a lofty rank, and a subtle constitution are not the cause of God's favor—majestic is His majesty. Excellence belongs to whomever the Truth Most High has bestowed it upon. All these qualities that they mention belonged to Iblis, yet by consensus he is accursed and forsaken. So excellence belongs to the one upon whom God—exalted and sanctified—places excellence and whom He chooses out of creation. The proof of the prophets' excellence is that God Most High commanded the angels to prostrate to Adam, and it is necessarily the case that the state of the one prostrated to is higher than the state of the one prostrating.

And if they say: the House of the Ka'ba is stone and inanimate, and the believer is more excellent than it yet prostrates toward it—so it would be permissible that the angels too were more excellent than Adam yet prostrated to him.

We say: no one says that the believer prostrates to the House, or the prayer-niche, or a wall—rather everyone says that he prostrates to God (while facing) the House. And all say that the angels prostrated to Adam in accordance with the word of God, for when He mentioned the prostration of the angels He said—His word, the Most High: 'Prostrate to Adam' (Q 2:34). 'We commanded the angels and said: prostrate to Adam.' And when He commanded the believers He said: 'And prostrate and worship your Lord' (Q 22:77). 'Prostrate to God and gird yourselves for His servitude.' So the House is not like Adam; for when a traveler wishes to worship God on the back of a mount, if he does not face the House he is excused. And an unconscious person, if he loses the indications of the qibla in a desert, whichever direction he turns he has fulfilled the command. But for the angels there was no excuse in the prostration to Adam; that one (Iblis) invented an excuse of his own, became forever accursed, and was abased. This proof is clear to whoever has insight.

And know also that the angels are, as it were, compelled in the matter of knowing (God), for in their constitution there is no lust, in their heart no greed or affliction, and in their nature no deceit or trickery. Their food is obedience and their drink is steadfastness upon the command. But in the clay of the human being lust is compounded, the commission of sins is possible for him, the adornment of the world affects his heart, and greed and cunning are spread through his nature. Satan has such dominion over his person that he circulates with the blood in his veins, through their channels, and an evil-commanding soul is joined to him, which is the caller to all evils. So one in whom all these qualities are present—who, though lust is possible, abstains from vice and licentiousness; who, though greed itself is present, turns away from the world; who, though Satan's whispering remains in his heart, turns back from sins and turns his face from the affliction of the carnal soul, and who occupies himself with steadfastness in worship, perseverance in obedience, striving against the soul, and disputing with Satan—in truth this one is more excellent than that (angel); because in the angels' nature there is no battlefield of lust, in their disposition no desire for food and pleasure, no grief of wife and child, no preoccupation with self and kin, no need of means and instrument, and no absorption in hope and affliction.

By my life, I marvel at one who sees excellence in deeds, or honor in beauty, or greatness in the acquisition of wealth! Soon he will see that blessing and greatness pass away. Why does he not see excellence as coming from the Owner of all beings, honor from the good pleasure of the Glorious One, and greatness from gnosis and faith?—so that he may see this blessing as everlasting for himself, and may see his heart gladdened by it in both worlds.

Gabriel, who for many thousands of years worshipped in expectation of a robe of honor—his robe of honor was to be the saddle-cloth bearer of Muhammad (God's blessings be upon them both), so that on the Night of Ascension he served as his mount—how could he be more excellent than one who in this world disciplines his soul, strives day and night, upon whom the Truth bestows His favor and whom He honors with the vision of Himself, and keeps him safe from all his perils?

When the pride of the angels exceeded its limit, and each of them made the purity of his own conduct into a proof, and stretched their tongues of reproach against humankind, the Truth—majestic is His majesty—willed to show them their own condition, so that they would know that their purity is purely the (divine) protection and the gentle favor of the Truth, majestic is His majesty. He said: 'Choose three from among you who are the greatest; rely upon them, that they may descend to the earth and be the vicegerents of the earth, set creation aright, and administer justice and equity among humankind.' They chose three angels. One of them, before he came to the earth, foresaw its affliction and asked God Most High to let him return. Two came to the earth; and before they came, God Most High altered their constitution, made them desirous of food and drink, and afflicted them with lust—so that He punished them through their own selves, and they beheld with their own eyes the preferment of humankind over the angels.

In sum, the elect of the believers are more excellent than the elect of the angels, and the common believers are more excellent than the common angels. So those humans who are preserved and infallible are more excellent than Gabriel and Michael, upon them both be peace; and those who are not infallible are more excellent than the guardian angels—that is, the noble scribes (Kiram al-Katibin). And God knows best.

Much has been said on this matter, and each of the masters has said something. God Most High bestows excellence upon whom He wills over whom He wills. And God Most High is most knowing and most gracious.

This is what pertains to the doctrine of the Hakimis in Sufism, and the disagreements of the Sufis with one another, which I have mentioned by way of brevity.

In truth, sainthood (wilaya) is a secret among the secrets of the Truth, and it is not made manifest except through (spiritual) conduct, and none knows the saint but a saint. If the disclosure of this matter to all rational people were permissible, then friend would not be distinguished from foe, nor the one who has arrived discerned from the heedless. So God Most High willed to place the jewel of His friendship within the shell of a lowly creation and cast it into the sea of tribulation, so that seekers, in view of its preciousness, would sacrifice their lives, scatter their souls upon that sea in the hunt for the soul, and sink to the depths of that sea until their desire is attained—or until they wholly perish in pursuit of it.

I wished to elaborate the substance of this discourse at length, but fear of wearying you and of the reader's natural aversion prevented me, so I turned the reins toward brevity. For an introduction to this Path, this much suffices. And God knows best what is correct.