LETTER 30: PURITY-A FURTHER EXPLANATION

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate!

Dear Brother Shamsuddin may God honor you in both worlds! Puri- ty is of two kinds, external and internal. Just as prayer without purity of body cannot be correct, so too genuine mystical knowledge of the Lord without purity of heart is impossible. Just as clean water is re quired for purity of the body, so purity of heart is indispensable for true insight into the Divine Unity. It has been said

Knowing the divine Unity is not for dust and water, it requires something more a clean heart and a pure soul!

This group is pure not only to the outer eye, but also to the inner eye, since it is rooted in the knowledge of the unity of God. God loves those who repent. He loves the pure of heart (Q2:222). This is their wealth. A hint concerning this purity has been given by the Apostle when he said: O God, make my heart free of hypocrisy Know that there was no question even of hypocrisy showing its face in any of the states of his blessed heart. If his glance were to fall on his own favors and high rank, for him it would mean an affirmation of otherness in divine Unity. In the palace of divine Unity affirmation of otherness is shown up as hypocrisy Though one particle of the miracles of the sheikhs might provide the initial touch of collyrsum on the eyes of the disciples, yet finally, in the perfect palace, it

too would prove to be a veil, albeit a respected one! Hence it is that Khwaja Bayazid, the holy one of God, has said The hypocrisy of the mystics is better than the sincerity of disciples. In other words, what is a stage attained by a disciple would be a veil for one who is perfect. For a novice, spiritual ambition is ex- pressed in miracles, but for a perfected one it consists in being honored by God. Belief in divine Unity is our duty and should be acknowledged both in this world and in the next. It should not be affected by either world, that it might remain fit for the divine Presence!

They are neither disturbed by hell nor excited by paradise- Such is the nature of the people belonging to this group!

[Anecdotes about much bathing are then set forth.]

It is related that Khwaja Bayazid said: Whenever any thought of the world enters my heart, I cleanse myself, and whenever any thought about the world to come enters my heart, I take a bath. The reason is that the world is polluted and any thought about it is polluting. Hence cleansing or purification becomes necessary. In the life to come there is carnal desire, and one must obtain relief from that cere- monial pollution. While it is necessary to be cleansed from wait pollutes, a bath is needed once ceremonial pollution has occurred.

The sheikhs have insisted on the necessity of both external and internal purification and have laid great stress on it. The starting point for those desiring to follow the Way is that their hearts become mirrorlike, so clean and shining that one can see reflected in them an image of the world of creatures and of the divine order. Thus, they progress from the ranks of commoners to the rank of the elect. We, however, are unfortunate slaves of the world, bound by habit. We wear the sacred thread of neglect. Except for our devotion to habit, of what else can we boast? In what can we take pride except our neglect? We tread the path like men of religion and lay claim to divine Unity. even though we are impure and our vision blind. Yet Jew and Chris- tian, church and temple are narrower in their outlook than we are. The word unity falls from the lips of all who are unitarians, but what a difference between one type of faith in the divine Unity and an- other! Someone in the world, for example, might know about the du- ties of ablutions and prayers, and this can be termed knowledge. On the other hand, Imam Ghazali also possessed knowledge. What a difference between his and that of the former! If someone asks, Why? the answer is this: It is a matter of God's grace: He bestows it on whomsoever He wishes.

A person may wonder: Why does God give this wealth to one but

not to another, just as a king bestows the post of prime minister on one, while he makes another a doorkeeper. In this way, by giving spiritual riches to someone, He wants to lead him out of his bad habits, whether he be a weaver, sweeper, vegetable seller, oppressor, or one who eats forbidden things. To which of these belongs loveliness? The Quran says: Are these the ones among us upon whom God has bestowed all this kindness? (Q6:53). Fuzail ibn lyaz, although a rob beer, was ordered to be brought to God, for He desired him. Balaam, son of Beor, on the other hand, was seated on his prayer mat for four hundred years, yet he was finally commanded to be removed from the Royal Presence, he had been rejected God wanted Umar, even though he was an idol worshiper, whereas the angel of death worshiped for 700,000 years, all to no avail. He cannot be questioned concerning what He does (Q21:23)

From the flock the wolf takes the sheep he wants. The wilderness puts each shepherd to the test.

Understand this and be hopeful, for a hundred suchlike things can take place. Once the glance of his graciousness alights on us, all our faults become virtues, all harmful things, beneficent; all evil propensities, things of beauty.

O brother, there was a handful of dust, someone wholly contemptible, fallen by the roadside, banging his feet helplessly! Suddenly, the gracious glance fell upon him and said: I am going to make a successor in the earth! (Q2:30). For today endure misfortune and pain, swallow grief and sorrow. Concerning the essence of these works, understand what was said: If you had not experienced these pains, calamities, griefs, and exertions, and were simply taken off to heaven, not a particle of pleasure would be found therein! The proof of this is that Adam went to heaven and took no delight in it. He sat on the throne of paradise, but his feet touched the dust. So, one by one, extract the thorns from your foot. If you experience a hundred vexations, you can say: Why did these thorns, which have pierced my foot, not penetrate into my soul? Travelers find enjoyment when they arrive at their intended destination. When a disciple attains the object of his desire, it is like water returning to its source, or a bird to its nest. Religions cease, and anxiety about one's work is replaced by this thought: The servant is with the Lord, the Lord with the ser vent.

Peace

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate!

Dear Brother Shamsuddin may God honor you in both worlds! Puri- ty is of two kinds, external and internal. Just as prayer without purity of body cannot be correct, so too genuine mystical knowledge of the Lord without purity of heart is impossible. Just as clean water is re quired for purity of the body, so purity of heart is indispensable for true insight into the Divine Unity. It has been said

Knowing the divine Unity is not for dust and water, it requires something more a clean heart and a pure soul!

This group is pure not only to the outer eye, but also to the inner eye, since it is rooted in the knowledge of the unity of God. God loves those who repent. He loves the pure of heart (Q2:222). This is their wealth. A hint concerning this purity has been given by the Apostle when he said: O God, make my heart free of hypocrisy Know that there was no question even of hypocrisy showing its face in any of the states of his blessed heart. If his glance were to fall on his own favors and high rank, for him it would mean an affirmation of otherness in divine Unity. In the palace of divine Unity affirmation of otherness is shown up as hypocrisy Though one particle of the miracles of the sheikhs might provide the initial touch of collyrsum on the eyes of the disciples, yet finally, in the perfect palace, it

too would prove to be a veil, albeit a respected one! Hence it is that Khwaja Bayazid, the holy one of God, has said The hypocrisy of the mystics is better than the sincerity of disciples. In other words, what is a stage attained by a disciple would be a veil for one who is perfect. For a novice, spiritual ambition is ex- pressed in miracles, but for a perfected one it consists in being honored by God. Belief in divine Unity is our duty and should be acknowledged both in this world and in the next. It should not be affected by either world, that it might remain fit for the divine Presence!

They are neither disturbed by hell nor excited by paradise- Such is the nature of the people belonging to this group!

[Anecdotes about much bathing are then set forth.]

It is related that Khwaja Bayazid said: Whenever any thought of the world enters my heart, I cleanse myself, and whenever any thought about the world to come enters my heart, I take a bath. The reason is that the world is polluted and any thought about it is polluting. Hence cleansing or purification becomes necessary. In the life to come there is carnal desire, and one must obtain relief from that cere- monial pollution. While it is necessary to be cleansed from wait pollutes, a bath is needed once ceremonial pollution has occurred.

The sheikhs have insisted on the necessity of both external and internal purification and have laid great stress on it. The starting point for those desiring to follow the Way is that their hearts become mirrorlike, so clean and shining that one can see reflected in them an image of the world of creatures and of the divine order. Thus, they progress from the ranks of commoners to the rank of the elect. We, however, are unfortunate slaves of the world, bound by habit. We wear the sacred thread of neglect. Except for our devotion to habit, of what else can we boast? In what can we take pride except our neglect? We tread the path like men of religion and lay claim to divine Unity. even though we are impure and our vision blind. Yet Jew and Chris- tian, church and temple are narrower in their outlook than we are. The word unity falls from the lips of all who are unitarians, but what a difference between one type of faith in the divine Unity and an- other! Someone in the world, for example, might know about the du- ties of ablutions and prayers, and this can be termed knowledge. On the other hand, Imam Ghazali also possessed knowledge. What a difference between his and that of the former! If someone asks, Why? the answer is this: It is a matter of God's grace: He bestows it on whomsoever He wishes.

A person may wonder: Why does God give this wealth to one but

not to another, just as a king bestows the post of prime minister on one, while he makes another a doorkeeper. In this way, by giving spiritual riches to someone, He wants to lead him out of his bad habits, whether he be a weaver, sweeper, vegetable seller, oppressor, or one who eats forbidden things. To which of these belongs loveliness? The Quran says: Are these the ones among us upon whom God has bestowed all this kindness? (Q6:53). Fuzail ibn lyaz, although a rob beer, was ordered to be brought to God, for He desired him. Balaam, son of Beor, on the other hand, was seated on his prayer mat for four hundred years, yet he was finally commanded to be removed from the Royal Presence, he had been rejected God wanted Umar, even though he was an idol worshiper, whereas the angel of death worshiped for 700,000 years, all to no avail. He cannot be questioned concerning what He does (Q21:23)

From the flock the wolf takes the sheep he wants. The wilderness puts each shepherd to the test.

Understand this and be hopeful, for a hundred suchlike things can take place. Once the glance of his graciousness alights on us, all our faults become virtues, all harmful things, beneficent; all evil propensities, things of beauty.

O brother, there was a handful of dust, someone wholly contemptible, fallen by the roadside, banging his feet helplessly! Suddenly, the gracious glance fell upon him and said: I am going to make a successor in the earth! (Q2:30). For today endure misfortune and pain, swallow grief and sorrow. Concerning the essence of these works, understand what was said: If you had not experienced these pains, calamities, griefs, and exertions, and were simply taken off to heaven, not a particle of pleasure would be found therein! The proof of this is that Adam went to heaven and took no delight in it. He sat on the throne of paradise, but his feet touched the dust. So, one by one, extract the thorns from your foot. If you experience a hundred vexations, you can say: Why did these thorns, which have pierced my foot, not penetrate into my soul? Travelers find enjoyment when they arrive at their intended destination. When a disciple attains the object of his desire, it is like water returning to its source, or a bird to its nest. Religions cease, and anxiety about one's work is replaced by this thought: The servant is with the Lord, the Lord with the ser vent.

Peace