LETTER 11: THE STATES OF THE RIGHTEOUS

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

Dearest Brother Shamsuddin, the states of the righteous are an ocean of purity, though it has been said, If they be an ocean, how can one grasp their meaning? Those whose souls have alighted at the treasury of favors, and whose hearts are mines of divine secrets experience already the separation of good from bad, which is a special feature of the Day of Resurrection! Promises and threats concerning them are made clear to them here and now. What is a threat for others is a source of peace for them. Both this world and the next obey them, and they are also not bypassed in either this world or the next! One evening, Khwaja Junaid decided to go to the mosque. When he arrived at the door, he saw a glowering person in front of the door. He said, Who are you, for my heart is set against you? I am Satan, he replied, you wanted to see me. He said, I have a question to ask you. Ask away! He said: Do you have any power over God's friends? No, was the reply. How is that? I inquired. He said: If I want to snare them in this world, they fly to the next. If I want to catch them in the next world, they fly to the Lord Himself, where it is impossible for me to go. One of God's beloveds has given us this hint:

All who have been taught the gambit of love

Have been set ablaze with love's eternal flame

The heart brought to perfection for union with Him,

Its eyes sewn together, returns not to either world!

Then he said: O accursed one, who would believe that you could tell us about their secrets? He replied, True, but there is one occasion when I know what is manifested in them, and that is when, during a prayer-gathering, they fall into ecstasy. Saying this, he disappeared. Junaid grew perplexed and, wrapped in thought, entered the mosque. A voice came to him from the corner of the mosque: O son, do not be deceived by the speech of this enemy! Since the saints of God are so precious to Him, why should he reveal to this enemy thing He does not even show to Gabriel or Michael? Junaid saw that it was his spiritual guide, Khwaja Sari Saqati, and he was relieved. [The hidden life of Khwaja Uvais Qarani is mentioned approvingly Tomorrow, one of the many favors of God for His just ones will be to make them strangers to their own tribes. Thus, would the saying be fulfilled: Have I not caused the memory of you to languish? In this very lane I have been plundered for your sake so that the night patrol might not grasp the skirt of your name and reputation. A frenzied lover has thrown some light on the meaning of this saying:

Have you seen what idolaters do in a temple?

What small hands can do to your narrow mouth?

I am intoxicated with You, so treat me gently,

For you know, O idol, what intoxicated people can do?

Sheikh Ibrahim Shabih was, in his time, a man to be imitated. His every prayer for the righteous was this: O Lord, just as You have made me forgotten in the hearts of the people, so also make me forget them, so that no one will recognize me, nor I them! From this, leaders endowed with perception say that, if people speak truthfully. they will acknowledge that their mutual acquaintance is unhealthy, except in those friendships that are fostered for the sake of God Almighty, as it is said in the Quran: On that day, friends will become enemies of one another, except for the God fearing (Q43:67) [The attitude of Abul Hasan Nuri is then praised.]

O brother, what sort of name would you like to have at your death? The blessed ones have given this precept: Whatever is received and manifested to anyone today should not be promulgated, even by a person admitted to the seven heavens, nor should speeches filled with love be made concerning it! The very place where a person slides away from the faith is where, in the future, the Resurrection itself will be revealed, since the Chosen One gave this information concerning Khwaja Uvais Qarani: Among the righteous companions, on the Day of Resurrection, the blessed ones will be told, You will go into the abode of peace! But to Uways Qarani, the sun of the Day of Resurrection today shines fiercely. Come into the shadow of the divine throne and dedicate your righteous tongue to interceding for the sinners of the community, since it is my wish to bring into paradise today as many sinners of the community of Muhammad as there are hairs on the sheep of the tribes of Rabi and Mizar While he was in the world, Uvais conducted himself in such a way before other people that no one in the tribe where he lived was more humble than he. People used to throw large stones at him, play tricks on him, and inflict every sort of indignity on him. The Chosen One, at the height of his prophethood, described the increase of his spiritual wealth in these words: I detect the breath of the Merciful One coming from Yemen! The secret of this is contained in what has been said:

O lover, if you set your foot in my alley,

Be prepared that moment to lose name and fame!

How much illumination can you expect

If you set out with a candle as your light?

When Haram ibn Hayan saw Uvais, he said: O Uvais, tell me some tradition about the Prophet of God that I might recollect in your name! He said, I do not have the strength for that task, that men should crowd me and make me a traditionist or a judge or a canon lawyer. I have a more important occupation than these. Please excues me! If even a particle of the divine secret enters my heart, how can I turn around and become a traditionist? I have been sealed with There is no god but God. It does not allow me to pass on to anything else. My regret at not finding Him in the boasting of lordship is like a flame raging within me! That choicest morsel, divine Unity, has made me a stranger to both worlds. The divine secrets have singed my heart with everlasting anguish. The blemish of my penury has undermined my security! The trial of not finding Him has dashed my hopes to pieces! Yet the praise of the Chosen One has fixed upon me the epithet 'endowed with great purity. The secret of this Tradition, I detect the breath of the Merciful One coming from Yemen, is indicated in unending anguish. One troubled at heart has said:

Union with You does not quell the anguish of my tormented heart,

Nor is this thirst quenched by your refreshing water.

Drained of vitality my existence slips away.

Yet my soul is still stirred by the love of Your beauty.

Sufis say that no sound is closer to the Lord than that of a person wailing over his sinfulness! Today it is fitting that the righteous ones of this Way to the Lord of religion should learn lamentation for sin from Uvais Qarani.

O brother, anyone who is not crying and lamenting at every moment of his life is a vein person, full of negligence with respect to the Day of Resurrection. He is as good as dead. He should be full of grief over the opportunities of today that are lost as a result of insatiable appetites. How can there be knowledge of God if life is limited to maintaining and seeking position and dignity, observing commands and prohibitions, practicing disdain and negligence, honor, worldly pride and self-flattery?

Sacrifice your life, union with Him is not granted to mere friends!

Only the intoxicated no longer drink milk from the goblet of the Law.

That place where all men will drink wine together

Is where no worshiper of self will receive a drop!

O brother, as far as possible, spend your life in tasks of humble repentance and seek protection in the shadow of the bounty of some renowned religious figure. Seek out a saintly friend, for he will be a veritable treasure for you. As for withdrawing from human company, realize that you cannot travel along the road of religion without a friend. If you say, What should I do? It is not easy for me to find such a friend. Remove from my back the weight of the robe of love that weighs upon my infidel soul! Do not participate in its infidelity, for it will give your life to the wind and will plunder your religion, it will make you a stranger on the Day of Resurrection, it will make you well acquainted with the world; it will utter secret insinuations concerning your spiritual treasure, it will destroy the mansion of your faith, daily your ardor for it will increase, and hourly your love for it will grow. You should know that, in reality, this soul is the enemy of God's religion! Consider it as your enemy, so that you may turn back and become faithful to your religion. Do not be intimate with people, otherwise the angels will become jealous. One mature Sufi has said:

When my soul had almost expired out of love for the Beloved,

I said, Do not settle for union with yourself, My Guest.

He replied, If you want to be fit for union with Me,

Do not allow a 'you' in yourself! There should only remain an 'I!'

[Some particular prayers, known for their efficacy, are then reiterated.]

Peace!

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

Dearest Brother Shamsuddin, the states of the righteous are an ocean of purity, though it has been said, If they be an ocean, how can one grasp their meaning? Those whose souls have alighted at the treasury of favors, and whose hearts are mines of divine secrets experience already the separation of good from bad, which is a special feature of the Day of Resurrection! Promises and threats concerning them are made clear to them here and now. What is a threat for others is a source of peace for them. Both this world and the next obey them, and they are also not bypassed in either this world or the next! One evening, Khwaja Junaid decided to go to the mosque. When he arrived at the door, he saw a glowering person in front of the door. He said, Who are you, for my heart is set against you? I am Satan, he replied, you wanted to see me. He said, I have a question to ask you. Ask away! He said: Do you have any power over God's friends? No, was the reply. How is that? I inquired. He said: If I want to snare them in this world, they fly to the next. If I want to catch them in the next world, they fly to the Lord Himself, where it is impossible for me to go. One of God's beloveds has given us this hint:

All who have been taught the gambit of love

Have been set ablaze with love's eternal flame

The heart brought to perfection for union with Him,

Its eyes sewn together, returns not to either world!

Then he said: O accursed one, who would believe that you could tell us about their secrets? He replied, True, but there is one occasion when I know what is manifested in them, and that is when, during a prayer-gathering, they fall into ecstasy. Saying this, he disappeared. Junaid grew perplexed and, wrapped in thought, entered the mosque. A voice came to him from the corner of the mosque: O son, do not be deceived by the speech of this enemy! Since the saints of God are so precious to Him, why should he reveal to this enemy thing He does not even show to Gabriel or Michael? Junaid saw that it was his spiritual guide, Khwaja Sari Saqati, and he was relieved. [The hidden life of Khwaja Uvais Qarani is mentioned approvingly Tomorrow, one of the many favors of God for His just ones will be to make them strangers to their own tribes. Thus, would the saying be fulfilled: Have I not caused the memory of you to languish? In this very lane I have been plundered for your sake so that the night patrol might not grasp the skirt of your name and reputation. A frenzied lover has thrown some light on the meaning of this saying:

Have you seen what idolaters do in a temple?

What small hands can do to your narrow mouth?

I am intoxicated with You, so treat me gently,

For you know, O idol, what intoxicated people can do?

Sheikh Ibrahim Shabih was, in his time, a man to be imitated. His every prayer for the righteous was this: O Lord, just as You have made me forgotten in the hearts of the people, so also make me forget them, so that no one will recognize me, nor I them! From this, leaders endowed with perception say that, if people speak truthfully. they will acknowledge that their mutual acquaintance is unhealthy, except in those friendships that are fostered for the sake of God Almighty, as it is said in the Quran: On that day, friends will become enemies of one another, except for the God fearing (Q43:67) [The attitude of Abul Hasan Nuri is then praised.]

O brother, what sort of name would you like to have at your death? The blessed ones have given this precept: Whatever is received and manifested to anyone today should not be promulgated, even by a person admitted to the seven heavens, nor should speeches filled with love be made concerning it! The very place where a person slides away from the faith is where, in the future, the Resurrection itself will be revealed, since the Chosen One gave this information concerning Khwaja Uvais Qarani: Among the righteous companions, on the Day of Resurrection, the blessed ones will be told, You will go into the abode of peace! But to Uways Qarani, the sun of the Day of Resurrection today shines fiercely. Come into the shadow of the divine throne and dedicate your righteous tongue to interceding for the sinners of the community, since it is my wish to bring into paradise today as many sinners of the community of Muhammad as there are hairs on the sheep of the tribes of Rabi and Mizar While he was in the world, Uvais conducted himself in such a way before other people that no one in the tribe where he lived was more humble than he. People used to throw large stones at him, play tricks on him, and inflict every sort of indignity on him. The Chosen One, at the height of his prophethood, described the increase of his spiritual wealth in these words: I detect the breath of the Merciful One coming from Yemen! The secret of this is contained in what has been said:

O lover, if you set your foot in my alley,

Be prepared that moment to lose name and fame!

How much illumination can you expect

If you set out with a candle as your light?

When Haram ibn Hayan saw Uvais, he said: O Uvais, tell me some tradition about the Prophet of God that I might recollect in your name! He said, I do not have the strength for that task, that men should crowd me and make me a traditionist or a judge or a canon lawyer. I have a more important occupation than these. Please excues me! If even a particle of the divine secret enters my heart, how can I turn around and become a traditionist? I have been sealed with There is no god but God. It does not allow me to pass on to anything else. My regret at not finding Him in the boasting of lordship is like a flame raging within me! That choicest morsel, divine Unity, has made me a stranger to both worlds. The divine secrets have singed my heart with everlasting anguish. The blemish of my penury has undermined my security! The trial of not finding Him has dashed my hopes to pieces! Yet the praise of the Chosen One has fixed upon me the epithet 'endowed with great purity. The secret of this Tradition, I detect the breath of the Merciful One coming from Yemen, is indicated in unending anguish. One troubled at heart has said:

Union with You does not quell the anguish of my tormented heart,

Nor is this thirst quenched by your refreshing water.

Drained of vitality my existence slips away.

Yet my soul is still stirred by the love of Your beauty.

Sufis say that no sound is closer to the Lord than that of a person wailing over his sinfulness! Today it is fitting that the righteous ones of this Way to the Lord of religion should learn lamentation for sin from Uvais Qarani.

O brother, anyone who is not crying and lamenting at every moment of his life is a vein person, full of negligence with respect to the Day of Resurrection. He is as good as dead. He should be full of grief over the opportunities of today that are lost as a result of insatiable appetites. How can there be knowledge of God if life is limited to maintaining and seeking position and dignity, observing commands and prohibitions, practicing disdain and negligence, honor, worldly pride and self-flattery?

Sacrifice your life, union with Him is not granted to mere friends!

Only the intoxicated no longer drink milk from the goblet of the Law.

That place where all men will drink wine together

Is where no worshiper of self will receive a drop!

O brother, as far as possible, spend your life in tasks of humble repentance and seek protection in the shadow of the bounty of some renowned religious figure. Seek out a saintly friend, for he will be a veritable treasure for you. As for withdrawing from human company, realize that you cannot travel along the road of religion without a friend. If you say, What should I do? It is not easy for me to find such a friend. Remove from my back the weight of the robe of love that weighs upon my infidel soul! Do not participate in its infidelity, for it will give your life to the wind and will plunder your religion, it will make you a stranger on the Day of Resurrection, it will make you well acquainted with the world; it will utter secret insinuations concerning your spiritual treasure, it will destroy the mansion of your faith, daily your ardor for it will increase, and hourly your love for it will grow. You should know that, in reality, this soul is the enemy of God's religion! Consider it as your enemy, so that you may turn back and become faithful to your religion. Do not be intimate with people, otherwise the angels will become jealous. One mature Sufi has said:

When my soul had almost expired out of love for the Beloved,

I said, Do not settle for union with yourself, My Guest.

He replied, If you want to be fit for union with Me,

Do not allow a 'you' in yourself! There should only remain an 'I!'

[Some particular prayers, known for their efficacy, are then reiterated.]

Peace!