LETTER 46: THE LOVE OF SAINTS AND THEIR OBEDIENCE62

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

Brother Shamsuddin may God grant you the life of one of His friends and intimates! Creatures other than man have no truck with love, for they have no great aspirations. Those activities of the angels that you see going on correctly do so because the tradition concerning love was not applied to them, whereas the ups and downs you see in the affairs of men are because this was promulgated among them He loves them, and they love Him (Q5:54). Everyone who has breathed even a particle of love says: Remove your heart from safety and bid farewell to yourself, for love keeps nothing in reserve, nor does it leave anything aside!

It was love for You that made me a frequenter of taverns! Otherwise, I would be confident and secure in my possessions!

There was an uproar in the kingdom when the turn of the richly endowed Adam came. The angels said: What has happened, that so many thousands of years of our praising and glorifying God have been thrown to the wind, whereas this creature of clay has been exalt- ed and raised above us? A voice said: Do not look at his form of clay! Look rather at the sacred trust given to him! 'He loves them, and they love Him' (Q5:54). The fire of love has been enkindled within their hearts and a voice came, saying, Might and victory belong to God! Thereupon all hearts were consumed by fire, everyone melted in the intensity of love. What is this? Just as He is not restricted, neither is His work!

The kings of this world, when they want to honor their servants, confer a turban and a robe of honor upon them, as well as territories. When God honors anyone, He begins by removing his turban and robe of honor! Then He makes him hungry and strips him naked. This is to reveal the meaning of the tradition that there is no return for anyone who has turned toward Him till he is slain!

If you seek Me, you will have to surrender your body to sorrow: Like lovers, you must lose your heart in the world. Fill your heart with grief, place it before your eyes, and then watch while you make of your very life a sacrifice! A certain hapless dervish had traversed the Way, spending his entire life in grief and wandering hither and thither. Right up till his last day he lived in this fashion. Then he died. People saw, written in his heart, these words: Here is one slain out of love of God!

The heart I had snatched from the ravishers of hearts I shall never give to anyone, nor even show to another. O Lord of my life, when with one glance You bear away my heart,

Tell me, have I been without a heart for a thousand years?

Divers who plunge deep into the ocean play with their lives, for they do not seek fish that can be sold for silver coins. No, they are after pearls that can light up a dark night. This work requires great skill and much courage. It is no joke. Those pure ones knew that one of them was going to be given a task to perform. Gabriel kept coming to Satan and saying: If such a state appears for me, then choose me Satan kept on saying. This is my work! Write it down for me All the angels kept on coming, making the very same request. Satan said to each and every one of them: This is my work. Write it down for me Hence there are those among the wise who have said that anovice should have some of the qualities of Satan, that he might persist till some work proceeds from him.

O brother, whoever is incapable of placing his head in his hands cannot set his feet in this lane! He should be a man who, when the saying of love comes upon the scene and swords from the hidden world become clearly visible, welcomes them with heart and soul

Why should I bear upon my body the robe of loyalty to You Or make porters of my eyes, to carry the burden of Your cruelty?

Yet if You grant me peace in body, mind, and soul, Then, dancing with love, I shall place all three before You!

If a weak, insignificant ant decides to ascend to the heavens, it would be an impossibility! Yet the helplessness of every creature in front of the glory and honor of the Beloved is even greater than that of the ant! When confronted with the great serpent, in all his glory and strength, one people turn toward a lump of dried clay, another. toward the east; another, toward the west; another, to wandering; and yet another, to searching God is great and powerful; the way is long and difficult; His nearness is far off; while union with Him is but separation, and still men keep on chattering!

If, out of love for You, I simply cease to be, it is no cause for shame!

A hundred souls, placed in Your scales, weigh very little. I am in quest of You; I cannot be made to blush by You! How can an ant reach up to heaven? It has no claw!

Many are prattling away, but no one has anything more certain than opinion, many seek a sign, but none is granted, many are searching but find no path, many are making an earnest endeavor, but no effective helper is at hand; many are secretly inflamed, but gain nothing more than waiting and frustration, many have worn themselves out in mosques and churches, but have found only pain and misfortune.

Alas! all my efforts and strivings have produced nothing Except dust upon my head, and wind within my grasp!

Khwaja Bayazid Bistami said: It reached my hearing that the Merciful One sits upon the divine throne (Q20:5). I vaulted to it so that I could see its state for myself. I found it more greatly athirst than 1 myself! He used to say:

I am exhausted by the mere suspicion of Your love: Do not talk to me about union with You! Men reproach me, I am ridiculous, they say, like a wolf smacking his lips on an empty belly!

When you glance at His Majesty, you will see livers swimming in blood. When you look at His Beauty, you will see why the consolation of hearts is in Him! Gnostics, confronted with His Majesty, sim- ply melt away, while lovers rejoice at the disclosure of His Beauty They say: Mystical knowledge is a fire, while love is a fire within that fire setting the world aflame and filling it with noise and tumult.

In my lane look at the noise and uproar that result from love! In Your lane note the effort spurred by Your beauty!

There was a beautiful woman peerless in her loveliness. One day she appeared like the sun in the bazaar of Baghdad. A great cry and tumult arose among the people. Everyone was running after her. Entering a house, she shut the door. If you did not want to be praised, they asked, then why did you show yourself? I like the cry and up- roar of the world! replied she. The heavenly ones have had their heads turned, while creatures of earth are perplexed and astonished. Without Him, no one can experience tranquility! And yet no one has ready access to Him. Every day, the divine footstool says to the divine throne, Do you have any sign of Him? Heaven says to earth: Has any seeker passed by in your direction? And earth says to heaven: Has any lover journeyed in your direction?

O brother, in every corner you will find someone killed by Him. and in every hermitage, some whose hearts are aflame with Him What soul is there that has not melted at His wrath? Or where is the heart that has not been soothed by His graciousness? In the dwellings of the dervishes, you will find much enthusiasm for Him, and if you go into the alley of the tavern, there you will encounter the pain of those who have not found Him! If you go to the churches of the Christians, you will find everyone searching for Him with joy. If you go to the synagogues of the Jews, you will find all in eagerness for His

beauty.

A thousand lovers came in quest of My company. They offered up their eyes and hearts as My servants All were consumed with grief at the prospect of My departure: For none saw or perceived that he himself was but a sign of Me!

The divine throne, tarnished by the suspicion that arose from God Almighty is confined to the throne, cried out like some unfortunate one in pain:

I am suspected of being in love with a moon-faced one I have no other recourse except remaining silent!

God be praised, seven hundred thousand years have passed by Every day the flame of this fire becomes more intense, and in every direction thousands and thousands more are consumed by it. There is a fear that both worlds might be consumed by it and be reduced to nothingness. Since this fire has been Luring from the very beginning, this is hardly surprising!

O brother, the wealth of water and dust is no small matter. The labors of Adam and mankind are not without significance. Footstool and throne, tablet and pen, heaven and hearth-all are at his service Khwaja Abu Ali said: Since Adam was appointed God's viceregent (Q2:30), and Abraham was called 'the Friend of God' (Q4:125), and Moses was told 'I chose you for Myself (Q20:40), people have said that if this saying, 'He loves them and they love Him' (Q5:54), did not make a fitting impression on someone's heart, it would be a sign that that person had no heart! If the sun of love had not shone upon Adam and mankind, then man's activities would have been merely of the same value as those of other creatures. In the beginning, there was this saying concerning love, in the middle, this saying, and at the end, the same saying! It applied today as well as tomorrow.

The verifiers of truth have said: Both this world and the one to come are simply for seeking Him! Anyone who says that the next world is not also one of seeking is totally wrong! There is not merely one type of prayer and fasting: both are forms of seeking. Tomorrow, all the prescriptions of the Law will be canceled, but these two things remain forever-the love of God and the praise of God. It has been said that the commands regarding the pilgrimage, the holy war, prayer, and fasting are meant to be observed until they are abrogated, but it can never be proper to untie the knot of love. As you stroll around heaven, each day's perception of God Almighty will reveal a whole new world to you, so new that you will not have even thought it existed up till then! This is such a work that there is no question of its ever being brought to a conclusion. Indeed, perish the thought!

As long as I live, my trade and my task is this: It is my rest, composure, and companion. This is how I busy myself each day: I am on a chase, and this is my prey!

Peace

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

Brother Shamsuddin may God grant you the life of one of His friends and intimates! Creatures other than man have no truck with love, for they have no great aspirations. Those activities of the angels that you see going on correctly do so because the tradition concerning love was not applied to them, whereas the ups and downs you see in the affairs of men are because this was promulgated among them He loves them, and they love Him (Q5:54). Everyone who has breathed even a particle of love says: Remove your heart from safety and bid farewell to yourself, for love keeps nothing in reserve, nor does it leave anything aside!

It was love for You that made me a frequenter of taverns! Otherwise, I would be confident and secure in my possessions!

There was an uproar in the kingdom when the turn of the richly endowed Adam came. The angels said: What has happened, that so many thousands of years of our praising and glorifying God have been thrown to the wind, whereas this creature of clay has been exalt- ed and raised above us? A voice said: Do not look at his form of clay! Look rather at the sacred trust given to him! 'He loves them, and they love Him' (Q5:54). The fire of love has been enkindled within their hearts and a voice came, saying, Might and victory belong to God! Thereupon all hearts were consumed by fire, everyone melted in the intensity of love. What is this? Just as He is not restricted, neither is His work!

The kings of this world, when they want to honor their servants, confer a turban and a robe of honor upon them, as well as territories. When God honors anyone, He begins by removing his turban and robe of honor! Then He makes him hungry and strips him naked. This is to reveal the meaning of the tradition that there is no return for anyone who has turned toward Him till he is slain!

If you seek Me, you will have to surrender your body to sorrow: Like lovers, you must lose your heart in the world. Fill your heart with grief, place it before your eyes, and then watch while you make of your very life a sacrifice! A certain hapless dervish had traversed the Way, spending his entire life in grief and wandering hither and thither. Right up till his last day he lived in this fashion. Then he died. People saw, written in his heart, these words: Here is one slain out of love of God!

The heart I had snatched from the ravishers of hearts I shall never give to anyone, nor even show to another. O Lord of my life, when with one glance You bear away my heart,

Tell me, have I been without a heart for a thousand years?

Divers who plunge deep into the ocean play with their lives, for they do not seek fish that can be sold for silver coins. No, they are after pearls that can light up a dark night. This work requires great skill and much courage. It is no joke. Those pure ones knew that one of them was going to be given a task to perform. Gabriel kept coming to Satan and saying: If such a state appears for me, then choose me Satan kept on saying. This is my work! Write it down for me All the angels kept on coming, making the very same request. Satan said to each and every one of them: This is my work. Write it down for me Hence there are those among the wise who have said that anovice should have some of the qualities of Satan, that he might persist till some work proceeds from him.

O brother, whoever is incapable of placing his head in his hands cannot set his feet in this lane! He should be a man who, when the saying of love comes upon the scene and swords from the hidden world become clearly visible, welcomes them with heart and soul

Why should I bear upon my body the robe of loyalty to You Or make porters of my eyes, to carry the burden of Your cruelty?

Yet if You grant me peace in body, mind, and soul, Then, dancing with love, I shall place all three before You!

If a weak, insignificant ant decides to ascend to the heavens, it would be an impossibility! Yet the helplessness of every creature in front of the glory and honor of the Beloved is even greater than that of the ant! When confronted with the great serpent, in all his glory and strength, one people turn toward a lump of dried clay, another. toward the east; another, toward the west; another, to wandering; and yet another, to searching God is great and powerful; the way is long and difficult; His nearness is far off; while union with Him is but separation, and still men keep on chattering!

If, out of love for You, I simply cease to be, it is no cause for shame!

A hundred souls, placed in Your scales, weigh very little. I am in quest of You; I cannot be made to blush by You! How can an ant reach up to heaven? It has no claw!

Many are prattling away, but no one has anything more certain than opinion, many seek a sign, but none is granted, many are searching but find no path, many are making an earnest endeavor, but no effective helper is at hand; many are secretly inflamed, but gain nothing more than waiting and frustration, many have worn themselves out in mosques and churches, but have found only pain and misfortune.

Alas! all my efforts and strivings have produced nothing Except dust upon my head, and wind within my grasp!

Khwaja Bayazid Bistami said: It reached my hearing that the Merciful One sits upon the divine throne (Q20:5). I vaulted to it so that I could see its state for myself. I found it more greatly athirst than 1 myself! He used to say:

I am exhausted by the mere suspicion of Your love: Do not talk to me about union with You! Men reproach me, I am ridiculous, they say, like a wolf smacking his lips on an empty belly!

When you glance at His Majesty, you will see livers swimming in blood. When you look at His Beauty, you will see why the consolation of hearts is in Him! Gnostics, confronted with His Majesty, sim- ply melt away, while lovers rejoice at the disclosure of His Beauty They say: Mystical knowledge is a fire, while love is a fire within that fire setting the world aflame and filling it with noise and tumult.

In my lane look at the noise and uproar that result from love! In Your lane note the effort spurred by Your beauty!

There was a beautiful woman peerless in her loveliness. One day she appeared like the sun in the bazaar of Baghdad. A great cry and tumult arose among the people. Everyone was running after her. Entering a house, she shut the door. If you did not want to be praised, they asked, then why did you show yourself? I like the cry and up- roar of the world! replied she. The heavenly ones have had their heads turned, while creatures of earth are perplexed and astonished. Without Him, no one can experience tranquility! And yet no one has ready access to Him. Every day, the divine footstool says to the divine throne, Do you have any sign of Him? Heaven says to earth: Has any seeker passed by in your direction? And earth says to heaven: Has any lover journeyed in your direction?

O brother, in every corner you will find someone killed by Him. and in every hermitage, some whose hearts are aflame with Him What soul is there that has not melted at His wrath? Or where is the heart that has not been soothed by His graciousness? In the dwellings of the dervishes, you will find much enthusiasm for Him, and if you go into the alley of the tavern, there you will encounter the pain of those who have not found Him! If you go to the churches of the Christians, you will find everyone searching for Him with joy. If you go to the synagogues of the Jews, you will find all in eagerness for His

beauty.

A thousand lovers came in quest of My company. They offered up their eyes and hearts as My servants All were consumed with grief at the prospect of My departure: For none saw or perceived that he himself was but a sign of Me!

The divine throne, tarnished by the suspicion that arose from God Almighty is confined to the throne, cried out like some unfortunate one in pain:

I am suspected of being in love with a moon-faced one I have no other recourse except remaining silent!

God be praised, seven hundred thousand years have passed by Every day the flame of this fire becomes more intense, and in every direction thousands and thousands more are consumed by it. There is a fear that both worlds might be consumed by it and be reduced to nothingness. Since this fire has been Luring from the very beginning, this is hardly surprising!

O brother, the wealth of water and dust is no small matter. The labors of Adam and mankind are not without significance. Footstool and throne, tablet and pen, heaven and hearth-all are at his service Khwaja Abu Ali said: Since Adam was appointed God's viceregent (Q2:30), and Abraham was called 'the Friend of God' (Q4:125), and Moses was told 'I chose you for Myself (Q20:40), people have said that if this saying, 'He loves them and they love Him' (Q5:54), did not make a fitting impression on someone's heart, it would be a sign that that person had no heart! If the sun of love had not shone upon Adam and mankind, then man's activities would have been merely of the same value as those of other creatures. In the beginning, there was this saying concerning love, in the middle, this saying, and at the end, the same saying! It applied today as well as tomorrow.

The verifiers of truth have said: Both this world and the one to come are simply for seeking Him! Anyone who says that the next world is not also one of seeking is totally wrong! There is not merely one type of prayer and fasting: both are forms of seeking. Tomorrow, all the prescriptions of the Law will be canceled, but these two things remain forever-the love of God and the praise of God. It has been said that the commands regarding the pilgrimage, the holy war, prayer, and fasting are meant to be observed until they are abrogated, but it can never be proper to untie the knot of love. As you stroll around heaven, each day's perception of God Almighty will reveal a whole new world to you, so new that you will not have even thought it existed up till then! This is such a work that there is no question of its ever being brought to a conclusion. Indeed, perish the thought!

As long as I live, my trade and my task is this: It is my rest, composure, and companion. This is how I busy myself each day: I am on a chase, and this is my prey!

Peace