Parable: Invitation by the Explaining Master and Conduct of the Two Groups

"O people! By making this palace and displaying these things our lord, who is the king of the palace, wants to make himself known to you. You therefore should recognize him and try to get to know him. And with these adornments he wants to make himself loved by you. You, too, make yourself loved by him by appreciating his art and admiring his works. Also, he shows his love for you through these bounties that you see, so you should love him too by obeying him. And through these bounties and gifts which are to be seen he shows his compassion and kindness for you, so you should show your respect for him by offering thanks. And through these works of his perfection he wants to display his transcendent beauty to you, so you should show your eagerness to see him and gain his regard. And through placing a particular stamp and special seal and an inimitable signet on every one of these adorned works of art that you see, he wants to show that everything is particular to him, and is the work of his own hand, and that he is single and unique and independent and removed. You therefore should recognize that he is single and alone and without peer or like or match, and accept that he is such." He spoke further fitting words to the spectators like these concerning the king and this station. Then the people who had entered the palace separated into two groups.

The First Group: Since these people had self-knowledge, were intelligent, and their hearts were in the right place, when they looked at the wonders inside the palace, they declared: "There are great matters afoot here!" They understood that it was not in vain or some trifling plaything. They were curious, and while wondering: "I wonder what the talisman to this is and what it contains," they suddenly heard the speech the master and instructor was giving, and they realized that the keys to all the mysteries were with him. So they approached him and said: "Peace be upon you, O master! By rights, a truthful and exact instructor like you is necessary for a magnificent palace such as this. Please tell us what our lord has made known to you!" First of all the master repeated the speech to them. They listened carefully, and accepting it, profited greatly. They acted as the king wished. And because the king was pleased at their becoming conduct and manners, he invited them to another special, elevated, ineffable palace. And he bestowed it on them in a way worthy of such a munificent king, and fitting for such obedient subjects, and suitable for such well-mannered guests, and appropriate to such an elevated palace. He made them permanently happy.

As for the Second Group, because their minds were corrupted and their hearts extinguished, when they entered the palace, they were defeated by their evil-commanding nafss and took notice of nothing apart from the delicious foods; they closed their eyes to all the virtues and stopped up their ears to the guidance of the master and the warnings of his students. They stuffed themselves like animals then sank into sleep. They quaffed elixirs which had been prepared for certain other matters and were not to have been consumed. Then they became drunk and started shouting so much they greatly upset the other spectating guests. They were ill-mannered in the face of the glorious maker's rules. So the soldiers of the palace's owner arrested them, and cast them into a prison appropriate to such unmannerly people.