When I said that I had called this book “The Revelation of the Mystery” (p. 3), my object was that the title of the book should proclaim its contents to persons of insight. You must know that all mankind are veiled from the subtlety of spiritual truth except God’s saints and His chosen friends; and inasmuch as this book is an elucidation of the Way of Truth, and an explanation of mystical sayings, and an uplifting of the veil of mortality, no other title is appropriate to it. Essentially, unveiling (_kashf_) is destruction of the veiled object, just as the veil destroys revelation (_mukáshafat_), and just as, for instance, one who is near cannot bear to be far, and one who is far cannot bear to be near; or as an animal which is generated from vinegar dies when it falls into any other substance, while those animals which are generated from other substances perish if they are put in vinegar. The spiritual path is hard to travel except for those who were created for that purpose. The Prophet said: “Everyone finds easy that for which he was created.” There are two veils: one is the “veil of covering” (_ḥijáb-i rayní_), which can never be removed, and the other is the “veil of clouding” (_ḥijáb-i ghayní_), which is quickly removed. The explanation is as follows: one man is veiled from the Truth by his essence (_dhát_), so that in his view truth and falsehood are the same. Another man is veiled from the Truth by his attributes (_ṣifat_), so that his nature and heart continually seek the Truth and flee from falsehood. Therefore the veil of essence, which is that of “covering” (_rayní_), is never removed. _Rayn_ is synonymous with _khatin_ (sealing) and _ṭab`_ (imprinting). Thus God hath said: “_By no means: but their deeds have spread a covering_ (rána) _over their hearts_” (Kor. lxxxiii, 14); then He made the sense of this manifest and said: “_Verily it is all one to the unbelievers whether thou warnest them or no; they will not believe_” (Kor. ii, 5); then he explained the cause thereof, saying: “_God hath sealed up their hearts_” (Kor. ii, 6). But the veil of attributes, which is that of “clouding” (_ghayní_), may be removed at times, for essence does not admit of alteration, but the alteration of attributes is possible. The Ṣúfí Shaykhs have given many subtle hints on the subject of _rayn_ and _ghayn_. Junayd said: _Al-rayn min jumlat al-waṭanát wa ´l-ghayn min jumlat al-khaṭarát_, “_Rayn_ belongs to the class of abiding things and _ghayn_ to the class of transient things.” _Waṭan_ is permanent and _khaṭar_ is adventitious. For example, it is impossible to make a mirror out of a stone, though many polishers assemble to try their skill on it, but a rusty mirror can be made bright by polishing; darkness is innate in the stone, and brightness is innate in the mirror; since the essence is permanent, the temporary attribute does not endure.