ʿA1ī b. Muḥammad (al-Daylami) said: The elite among believers are a group below those who love one another in God. Their love results from their spirits recognizing one another when they meet in the spiritual world. They associate familiarly together when they know one another, and they remain at variance when they do not. This makes the rank of the elite one step lower than that of those who love one another in God and two steps lower than the first rank. It is their great distance from [221] the beloved that causes them (at times) not to know one another, and it is because they fall short of perfection that opposition occurs between them. The spirits of the elite strive to draw them up to the rank of those who love one another in God, whereas the spirits of those who love one another in God seek to come together with the beloved. The essence of the love of the elite is a spiritual cheer that comes into their hearts when they remember their beloved. On this love it has been related from the Messenger of God that he said: “Spirits are regimented battalions: those which know one another associate familiarly together, while those which do not know one another remain at variance.”

It is related from ʿIkrima from al-Ḥārith b. ʿUmayra that he said: “I met Salmān and he said to me, ‘How are you, Ḥārith b. ʿUmayra?’ ‘How are you, Salmān?’ I answered. ‘How did you know me?’ he asked. ‘My spirit knew your spirit,’ I replied. Then he said, ‘I heard the Messenger of God say: “Spirits are regimented battalions: those which know one another associate familiarly together, while those which do not know one another remain at variance.’””

The following verses have been related to us from al-Raqāshī: [222]