منشور إلى جماعة أبي تراب وشيوخ المواضع من الأهل والأصحاب
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. May God prolong the lives of my pure shaykh-brethren, make their intentions and success good, and direct their path and way, through complete obedience, toward the highest stations. May He establish their beliefs and convictions upon the signs of guidance. Praise be to God: our condition is one of all-embracing, sufficient well-being, blessings succeeding one another, and perfect, unclouded mercy. God Most High knows how my heart turns toward the believing shaykhs and rejoices whenever the soundness of their affairs is renewed, at every time and season.
I mean Shaykh Abū al-Surayyā, Abū Muḥammad, Abū ʿArūs, Abū ʿAbd Allāh, Abū Jumʿa, another Abū Muḥammad, the pure believing brethren around them, and all the pure and truthful shaykhs of the various places.
This letter reaches all of them by the hand of my good brother Shaykh Abū al-Shibl. It sets forth the favors and gifts that God Most High has bestowed upon us and upon those who obey Him, out of the overflowing abundance of His praises. The least of those gifts can only be acknowledged by admitting our weakness and inadequacy before the bounty and blessings of the Intellect.
The pure Shaykh Abū al-Shibl is a support and strength to his believing brethren, and one of the greatest of the Unitarian shaykhs who have been nurtured among us. Let the community preserve recognition of his former services and efforts, and distinguish the signs of obedience in his actions and continued support.
The time for agreeing and reproving has come to an end. Whoever among the believing brethren has repented after being made to witness his errors is no longer to be reproached, and is not like those who denied the grace of the Creator and His Guardian, clothed themselves in disguise before the people of truth, and became their enemies.
God does not wrong them; rather He judges them according to what the believers themselves have carried out and judged concerning them.
Praise belongs to God, who has made His friends a means of distinguishing the peoples and a just balance for establishing the proof on behalf of the obedient and good. May His peace be upon His Guardian, the one who takes vengeance upon the Iblīses of the successive cycles with the sword of justice: the guiding Imam, the Qāʾim. He suffices His weak servant, al-Muqtanā, on the day when saliva catches in the throat and the throat burns.
Let the community of shaykhs know the religion and excellence of Shaykh Abū al-Shibl. Let Shaykh Abū ʿArūs—may God continue to preserve him—know that I have answered his question and confirmed the truth of his statement. Let him maintain with Shaykh Abū al-Shibl the best relationship, in keeping with his earlier conduct. This letter, however, is to remain in the hand of Shaykh Abū al-Shibl.
Praise belongs to God alone. He suffices me and is the best Helper and Supporter.