Bahaudin gave an address on the principles and practices of the Sufis… There is only one principle, and there is only one practice. What is the principle? The principle is that only God exists. There is no god but God: that is the principle, that is the very seed of Sufism. Only God is – in millions of forms. Forms are different, personalities are different, but deep down, if you go on searching for the innermost core, you will always find God and nothing else. So this is the fundamental principle; all other principles are secondary. This is the cornerstone of the temple of Sufism: God is.
And God cannot be new or old. You cannot use words like “was” in reference to God; you cannot say “God was”, you cannot say “God will be”. You can use only one tense, the present tense, for God: God is. God always is, so how can it be new or old? Yes, expressions can be old, but not the truth expressed. Bottles can be new but not the wine. What I am saying is only a new bottle for the eternal wine. That's what Bahaudin was saying.