Thirty-Eighth Assembly (Khawn-Pur-Nemat)

The Venerable Master was reclining. Someone stood by his side, fanning him. For some days the Venerable Master thought that the wind has its own abode, but this is not so. At this time, he read that it was the air itself, which was in motion but, on account of its very refined nature, it could not be seen. The discussion turned to the glance of the saints. He said: The glance of the saints extends not merely to the east and west but also to the seven heavens; to the earth; to the divine throne and footstool; and to the lower part of the earth. No- thing is hidden from their vision. 'Ain-ul-Qazaat has written somewhere that, if it were possible for anything to remain hidden from the divine knowledge it could remain hidden from the knowledge of a Traveller.

Afterwards he said: It happens in the same way with all things: they hear whatever can be heard; see whatever is visible; and whatever is intelligible is understood by them. Hence it is said that one prerequisite of a spiritual guide is that he has become an overseer of kingdoms. In other words, he is informed about whatever comes into view from the Hidden World, by day or night.

A Sufi is not someone decked in blue: The one clad in purity, he is the Sufi.

Maulana Husamuddin, the prayer-leader of Haibat Khan, observed: It seems that this glance refers to that of the soul. He replied: Yes, the Sufis call it 'insight'. It is a quality of the soul. Nothing in the entire universe is hidden from its view. If this is not so, it indicates that this quality has been vanquished, for the soul is all light and brilliance, whereas the carnal soul is characterized by complete darkness. When the darkness of the carnal soul increases, the light and brilliance of the soul is overshadowed by it. That is why it does not see. If

a person drives far away this darkness of the carnal soul, the light and brilliance of the soul come to birth. Nothing remains hidden from its sight. This is the sort of quality possessed by the soul.

Afterwards he said: No material thing can act as a veil for the soul: within or without, near or far, as far as it is concerned, all are the same.

Between You and me, where is there room for 'between'? Between You and me, 'between' cannot squeeze in.

A discussion arose that, nowadays, novices did not open up to God quickly. He said: The reason why novices are not granted openness to God quickly is because they do not observe the rules. In this situation union with God ceases. They do not act as they should in compliance with the rules. This is the fault either of the novice or of the spiritual guide, or of both. That is why the work does not go smoothly. This is because there are prerequisites and rules for spiritual guides as well as for novices. If there is defect from either side in the prerequisites or rules no effect will be seen. For this reason you should realize what is meant by 'Enter houses through their doors' (Q2: 189). The teaching of the Lord is that, in every activity, one should enter by the door so that, if somebody wants to enter the house, he would not do so by another way which might be beyond the rule of reason.

In the meantime, one of those present enquired: Master, is it the task of a novice to proceed as directed by his spiritual guide? The Venerable Master replied: The law concerning the conditions applicable to a disciple is that he should walk in accordance with the saying, 'Discipleship means abandoning one's own will. What is discipleship? It means abandoning one's own will in what pertains to religion and the world and proceeding as directed by one's spiritual guide. The novice neither stops nor starts as he himself wishes, so much so that it is said that, if the spiritual guide commands the novice to abandon something which is obligatory and necessary, and the novice wonders how he could do such a thing, it would be said that he has turned aside from the demands of discipleship and reached the point of opposition. 'There is no discipleship involving opposition.

Intelligent people abstain from what may ruin them: The religion of lovers is something quite different!

If at this time they hear something from their guide or notice something in him they talk so much about it that there is no end to the matter. They search books of traditions to see if it is so, if any precedent can be found. Now, in this situation, how can the correct way be found?

The Helpless One enquired: It is really true that the abandonment of something that is obligatory and necessary is commanded? He replied: Taking poison leads to self-destruction. In the same way the abandonment of what is necessary is the ruination of religion. It so happens that physicians very often make use of poison to effect a cure. In a similar fashion spiritual guides often require people to abandon what is obligatory and necessary as part of their treatment's

Thus, it is clear that, in my opinion, there is not a sinless ascetic in the city.

The aforementioned Husamuddin said: If somebody snatches some food from another and eats it, then the act of eating is unlawful, but what is the command with regard to the food itself? He replied: That is not unlawful in itself, except in so far as it involves eating what belongs to another. After eating it naturally comes under 'eating', for its substance is des- trayed by the very act of eating. After a person, on his own authority, pays the price, then it can be said that his ownership has been established and, at that time, it becomes lawful.

Afterwards he said: A student mentioned that, in the assembly of Maulana Wahiduddin, one tradition was found that said: 'Nothing forbidden will enter the gullet of a believer. In the same place it is also mentioned in the assembly of the Maulana that, if someone grabs what belongs to another and eats it, the thing is obviously destroyed. Afterwards he answered the difficulty in this fashion: As soon as a person eats what belongs to another the substance of the stolen food is destroy- ed. The responsibility for recompense certainly falls upon him. Since this is so, it cannot be said to be the property of the one

who took it. It certainly became his, but not correctly. 'You can eat whatever you purchase. In line with this, it becomes lawful. Afterwards he will have to make recompense, either in this world or in the next.

Afterwards he said: I have seen the following tradition in books: What if somebody snatches some money from someone and afterwards uses it to buy something? For example, he goes to a butcher and asks for ten Jital's worth of meat. The first thing he has to do is take the meat from the butcher, then hand over to him ten Jital's. The tradition is that such meet is lawful; it cannot become unlawful because, after having taken possession of the thing sold, he evidently has the responsibility of paying for it. By all means he has to hand over the money. If, on the other hand, he gave the ten Jital's first and said, 'Give me ten Jital's' worth of meat, and he gave him the meat, this would be unlawful.

The aforementioned Husamuddin asked: What is the effect of giving the money first or afterwards? He replied: If he takes the thing sold, he has to pay the price because he has acquired the obligation to do so and has to do so by all means. An argument may arise about how the money used to pay for the item came into your possession, whether it was lawful or unlawful. If, however, the money is handed over first, this is the thing exchanged. The meat is given in lieu of the money. The same command applies to this as to the thing exchanged. If the thing exchanged is unlawful, so too is whatever is handed over in lieu of it.

After this the Venerable Master turned his blessed countenance towards those present in the assembly and said: When buying and selling this is the procedure you should follow: first take possession of the goods and then pay for them. Although the money used is not unlawful, it could happen that some kind of doubt could arise concerning it. This procedure should be followed as a precaution.

Three times he looked around at those present in the assembly and said: This is the procedure that should be followed in buying and selling.

The Venerable Master was reclining. Someone stood by his side, fanning him. For some days the Venerable Master thought that the wind has its own abode, but this is not so. At this time, he read that it was the air itself, which was in motion but, on account of its very refined nature, it could not be seen. The discussion turned to the glance of the saints. He said: The glance of the saints extends not merely to the east and west but also to the seven heavens; to the earth; to the divine throne and footstool; and to the lower part of the earth. No- thing is hidden from their vision. 'Ain-ul-Qazaat has written somewhere that, if it were possible for anything to remain hidden from the divine knowledge it could remain hidden from the knowledge of a Traveller.

Afterwards he said: It happens in the same way with all things: they hear whatever can be heard; see whatever is visible; and whatever is intelligible is understood by them. Hence it is said that one prerequisite of a spiritual guide is that he has become an overseer of kingdoms. In other words, he is informed about whatever comes into view from the Hidden World, by day or night.

A Sufi is not someone decked in blue: The one clad in purity, he is the Sufi.

Maulana Husamuddin, the prayer-leader of Haibat Khan, observed: It seems that this glance refers to that of the soul. He replied: Yes, the Sufis call it 'insight'. It is a quality of the soul. Nothing in the entire universe is hidden from its view. If this is not so, it indicates that this quality has been vanquished, for the soul is all light and brilliance, whereas the carnal soul is characterized by complete darkness. When the darkness of the carnal soul increases, the light and brilliance of the soul is overshadowed by it. That is why it does not see. If

a person drives far away this darkness of the carnal soul, the light and brilliance of the soul come to birth. Nothing remains hidden from its sight. This is the sort of quality possessed by the soul.

Afterwards he said: No material thing can act as a veil for the soul: within or without, near or far, as far as it is concerned, all are the same.

Between You and me, where is there room for 'between'? Between You and me, 'between' cannot squeeze in.

A discussion arose that, nowadays, novices did not open up to God quickly. He said: The reason why novices are not granted openness to God quickly is because they do not observe the rules. In this situation union with God ceases. They do not act as they should in compliance with the rules. This is the fault either of the novice or of the spiritual guide, or of both. That is why the work does not go smoothly. This is because there are prerequisites and rules for spiritual guides as well as for novices. If there is defect from either side in the prerequisites or rules no effect will be seen. For this reason you should realize what is meant by 'Enter houses through their doors' (Q2: 189). The teaching of the Lord is that, in every activity, one should enter by the door so that, if somebody wants to enter the house, he would not do so by another way which might be beyond the rule of reason.

In the meantime, one of those present enquired: Master, is it the task of a novice to proceed as directed by his spiritual guide? The Venerable Master replied: The law concerning the conditions applicable to a disciple is that he should walk in accordance with the saying, 'Discipleship means abandoning one's own will. What is discipleship? It means abandoning one's own will in what pertains to religion and the world and proceeding as directed by one's spiritual guide. The novice neither stops nor starts as he himself wishes, so much so that it is said that, if the spiritual guide commands the novice to abandon something which is obligatory and necessary, and the novice wonders how he could do such a thing, it would be said that he has turned aside from the demands of discipleship and reached the point of opposition. 'There is no discipleship involving opposition.

Intelligent people abstain from what may ruin them: The religion of lovers is something quite different!

If at this time they hear something from their guide or notice something in him they talk so much about it that there is no end to the matter. They search books of traditions to see if it is so, if any precedent can be found. Now, in this situation, how can the correct way be found?

The Helpless One enquired: It is really true that the abandonment of something that is obligatory and necessary is commanded? He replied: Taking poison leads to self-destruction. In the same way the abandonment of what is necessary is the ruination of religion. It so happens that physicians very often make use of poison to effect a cure. In a similar fashion spiritual guides often require people to abandon what is obligatory and necessary as part of their treatment's

Thus, it is clear that, in my opinion, there is not a sinless ascetic in the city.

The aforementioned Husamuddin said: If somebody snatches some food from another and eats it, then the act of eating is unlawful, but what is the command with regard to the food itself? He replied: That is not unlawful in itself, except in so far as it involves eating what belongs to another. After eating it naturally comes under 'eating', for its substance is des- trayed by the very act of eating. After a person, on his own authority, pays the price, then it can be said that his ownership has been established and, at that time, it becomes lawful.

Afterwards he said: A student mentioned that, in the assembly of Maulana Wahiduddin, one tradition was found that said: 'Nothing forbidden will enter the gullet of a believer. In the same place it is also mentioned in the assembly of the Maulana that, if someone grabs what belongs to another and eats it, the thing is obviously destroyed. Afterwards he answered the difficulty in this fashion: As soon as a person eats what belongs to another the substance of the stolen food is destroy- ed. The responsibility for recompense certainly falls upon him. Since this is so, it cannot be said to be the property of the one

who took it. It certainly became his, but not correctly. 'You can eat whatever you purchase. In line with this, it becomes lawful. Afterwards he will have to make recompense, either in this world or in the next.

Afterwards he said: I have seen the following tradition in books: What if somebody snatches some money from someone and afterwards uses it to buy something? For example, he goes to a butcher and asks for ten Jital's worth of meat. The first thing he has to do is take the meat from the butcher, then hand over to him ten Jital's. The tradition is that such meet is lawful; it cannot become unlawful because, after having taken possession of the thing sold, he evidently has the responsibility of paying for it. By all means he has to hand over the money. If, on the other hand, he gave the ten Jital's first and said, 'Give me ten Jital's' worth of meat, and he gave him the meat, this would be unlawful.

The aforementioned Husamuddin asked: What is the effect of giving the money first or afterwards? He replied: If he takes the thing sold, he has to pay the price because he has acquired the obligation to do so and has to do so by all means. An argument may arise about how the money used to pay for the item came into your possession, whether it was lawful or unlawful. If, however, the money is handed over first, this is the thing exchanged. The meat is given in lieu of the money. The same command applies to this as to the thing exchanged. If the thing exchanged is unlawful, so too is whatever is handed over in lieu of it.

After this the Venerable Master turned his blessed countenance towards those present in the assembly and said: When buying and selling this is the procedure you should follow: first take possession of the goods and then pay for them. Although the money used is not unlawful, it could happen that some kind of doubt could arise concerning it. This procedure should be followed as a precaution.

Three times he looked around at those present in the assembly and said: This is the procedure that should be followed in buying and selling.