Religious Leaders From Iran

"Ah, me! so poor, can I declare that friend, who never had another friend his like,—none, therefore, who could know his soul?"

"Supreme Being soars above thought and imagination. We are lost when we would comprehend or even suspect that which he is. How vain, then, to seek words worthy of that Being! Let it suffice us to adore in reverent silence!"

"Thou, nearer to me than I to myself."

"O heart! weak follower of the weak, That thou shouldst traverse land and sea, In this far place that God to seek Who long ago had come to thee!"

"The prophets hear in their mind voices that others never perceive, as the voices of the Peris, which, although they sound out clearly, are never apprehended by our ears."

"This universe is a drop from the ocean of his beauty, unable from its fulness to find place in the parent bosom."

""Tell me, gentle traveller, thou Who hast wandered far and wide, Seen the sweetest roses blow And the brightest rivers glide,— Say, of all thine eyes have seen, Which the fairest land has been.""Lady, shall I tell thee where Nature seems most blest and fair, Far above all climes beside?— ’Tis where those we love abide; And that little spot is best Which the loved one’s foot hath pressed."Though it be a fairy space, Wide and spreading is the place; Though ’twere but a barren mound, ’Twould become enchanted ground. With thee, yon sandy waste would seem The margin of Al Cawthar's stream; And thou canst make a dungeon’s gloom A bower where new-born roses bloom."

"When rises the sun and chases the night, What need have we then of the lamp for a light? When the friend all beloved appears to the eye, What want dost thou feel that the post bring him nigh? But when the rose-time is past, and the rose-bloom gone by, Then gladly the eye seeks the water of roses to spy. Is the Master within to thy soul not revealed? Well then may’st thou turn to the Volume of message unsealed."

"As water from the glasses is all poured into one vessel, so all the praises are mingled together. Since He that is celebrated is wholly one, all religions form but one religion."

"The compass only serves to direct the prayers of those who are outside of the Caaba, whilst within it no one knows the use of it."

"I was, ere a name had been named upon earth, Ere one trace yet existed of aught that has birth; When the locks of the Loved One streamed forth for a sign, And being was none save the Presence Divine. Ere the veil of the flesh for Messiah was wrought, To the godhead I bowed in prostration of thought. I measured intently, I pondered with heed (But, ah, fruitless my labor!) the cross and its creed. To the pagod I rushed and the magian's shrine, But my eye caught no glimpse of a glory divine. The reins of research to the Caaba I bent, Whither, hopefully thronging, the old and young went. Candahár and Herát searched I wistfully through, Nor above nor beneath came the Loved One to view. I toiled to the summit, wild, pathless, and lone, Of the globe-girding Kâf, but the phœnix had flown. The seventh earth I traversed, the seventh heaven explored, But in neither discerned I the court of the Lord. I questioned the pen and the tablet of fate, But they whispered not where He pavilions his state. My vision I strained, but my God-scanning eye No trace that to godhead belongs could descry. But when I my glance turned within my own breast, Lo, the vainly sought Loved One, the godhead confessed! In the whirl of its transport my spirit was tossed, Till each atom of separate being I lost; And the bright sun of Tauriz, a madder than me, Or a wilder, hath never yet seen, nor shall see."

"If this world were our abiding place, we might complain that it makes our bed so hard: But it is only our night-quarters on a journey; and who can expect home comforts?"

"The reed bewailed departed bliss and present woe: "Plucked untimely from my native banks, my heart is torn, that through me may sound the notes that charm the grave and gay. Who that hears my strains knows the secret of my bleeding heart?" Not fruitless was the pain of the reed that made it melodious. And thou, brave heart, arise. Be free of every chain, though blazing with gold. Be nobly bold. Follow the true bride of thy life, though her name be Sorrow. Let the shell perish, that the pearl may appear. Men may not know the secret of thy sad life, but through a bruised heart must be breathed the strain of love and hope which shall enrapture human souls."

"As the stranger, far distant in foreign climes, draws towards home, so the soul, from midst of this world of multiplicity, pants and soars upward to the Unity."

"Rabia, sick upon her bed, By two saints was visited, Holy Malik, Hassan wise,— Men of mark in Moslem eyes. Hassan says, "Whose prayer is pure Will God's chastisements endure." Malik, from a deeper sense, Uttered his experience: "He who hears his Master's voice Will in chastisement rejoice."Rabia saw some selfish will In their maxims lingering still, And replied, "O men of grace! He who sees his Master's face, Will not in his prayer recall That he is chastised at all.""

"I once journeyed long, said Dakiki, seeking the souls wherein my friend had mirrored himself,—in the drop of the: bucket to find the sea and its wealth, in the atoms, in the sunbeam, to know the great sun.I came in my wanderings to the shore of ocean, where time and space disappeared from my thought. Seven lights I saw, whose flames lapped the heavens. Again the lights flowed together, the lights joined in one whose splendor cleft the bosom of the skies. Amazed, overcome, I sank to the ground; but when I awoke, instead of the flame, seven persons I see walking on shore. I could not trust my eyes, since; instead of seven men, seven trees come to view. Their peaks transcend the throne-dwelling of God, their roots pierce the inmost recesses of earth and the deeps.But, wonder of wonders over all! to no eyes but mine was the vision revealed. Hundred thousands pass along there, but never one sees the trees and their fruits. A strange spell is upon their organs: they see the mote in the sunbeam, but never the sun.I shout to them, Hither: come here, eat this fruit, living bread you shall find. They laugh at me, call me foolish, giddy, and demented. But I know I don’t dream. Yet never could I hold my senses sound, were it not that every instant the fruits refresh and inspire me.Then of a sudden again the fruits and trees evanish, and seven persons appear before me. Seven blend in one, one flows out and divides into seven."

"Allah!" was all night long the cry of one oppressed with care, Till softened was his heart, and sweet became his lips with prayer. Then near the subtle tempter stole, and spake: "Fond babbler, cease! For not an 'Here am I' has God e'er sent to give thee peace." With sorrow sank the suppliant's soul, and all his senses fled; But, lo! at midnight the good angel Chiser came and said: "What ails thee now, my child, and why art thou afraid to pray? And why thy former love dost thou repent? declare and say." "Ah!" cries he, "never once spake God to me, 'Here am I, son.' Cast off, methinks I am, and warned far from his gracious throne." To whom the angel answered: "Hear the word from God I bear: 'Go tell,' he said, 'yon mourner, sunk in sorrow and despair, Each "Lord, appear!" thy lips pronounce, contains my "Here am I!" A special messenger I send beneath thine every sigh, And, sleeping in thy "Come, O Lord!" there lies "Here, son!" from me.'"

"Love is the water of life; receive it in thy heart and soul."

"None but the sun can display the sun."

"Pants thy spirit to be gifted With a deathless life, Let it seek to be uplifted O’er earth’s storm and strife. Spurn its joys,—its ties dissever, Hopes and fears divest; Thus, aspire to live for ever, Be for ever blest."

"'Tis marvellous by what way thou wentest from the world Thou didst strongly shake thy wings and feathers and having broken thy cage Didst ae to the air and journey towards the world of soul. Thou wert a favourite falcon kept in captivity by an old woman When thou heard’st the falcon-drum, thou didst fly away into the void."

"After all soul is linked to body Though it in nowise resembles the body The power of the light of the eye is mated with fat The light of the heart is hidden in a drop of blood Joy harbours in the kidneys and pain in the liver The lamp of reason in the brains of the head. These connections are not without a why and how But reason is at a loss to understand the how."

"For this cause, O son, the Prince of men declared 'The majority of those in Paradise are the foolish'. Cleverness is as a wind raising storms of pride Be foolish, so that your heart may he at peace."

"This world of illusions, fancies, desires and fears Is a mighty obstacle in the traveller's path. Thus when these forms of delusive imaginations Misled Abraham, who was a very mountain of wisdom. He said of the star 'This is my Lord'. Having fallen into the midst of the world of illusion Seeing then that this world of eye-fascinating illusion Seduced from the right path such a mountain as Abraham. So that he said of the star 'This is my Lord', What will not its illusions effect on a stupid ass?"

"First he appeared in the class of inorganic things, Next he passed therefrom into that of plants, For years he lived as one of the plants, Remembering naught of his inorganic state so different, And when he passed from the vegetive to the animal state He had no remembrance of his state as a plant."

"The prophets chose the better part, futurity. The foolish chose the worst, the world's fatuity. Each bird will flock with birds of its own feather still The cock well knows his mate and follows where she will."

"The lover is a monarch; two worlds lie at his feet; The king pays no heed to what lies at his feet; 'Tis love and the lover that live to all eternity Set not thy heart on aught else; 'tis only borrowed."

"The root of hatred is hell and that hate of yours Is a part of that whole and is the foe of your religion Since you are a part of hell, beware! For the part ever tends towards its whole But if you are a portion of heaven, O renowned one, Your joy will be as lasting as heaven itself."

"Let us seek refuge with Allah from Satan; Alas! we are perishing from his insolence. The dog is one yet he enters a thousand forms; Whatever he enters, straight becomes himself; Whatever makes you shiver, know he is in it, The Devil is hidden beneath its outward form. When he finds no form at hand, he enters your thoughts To cause them to draw you into sin."

"For love of our Almighty God, the Lord of all, Who would not die; a stock, a block, we needs must call."

"Imitate the water-wheel that groans and weeps; By prayers and groans and tears a man his heart pure keeps; Wouldst thou shed tears? Feel pity when thou meetest woe, Wouldst mercy find? Show mercy, when men bow them low."

"How many sparks of fire from flint and steel have flown How many hearts like tinder, make those sparks their own. But in the dark some thief his finger presses there And every train puts out that has been lighted here. Extinguished if those sparks were not, a flame would rise A burning light be kindled, flashing beyond the skies A thousand snares are laid to catch our tripping feet But Lord, if thou us shield, harm never shall us meet. If but Thy grace will guide us, lead us on our way, No thief can steal our peace of mind, our light of day."

"Our celestial spirit is free to eternity, Although for a short time we are imprisoned in forms of flesh."

"With thee hell would he a mansion of delight With thee a prison would be a rose garden."

"With thee how should we be afraid of loss O thou, who turnest every loss to gain."

"Why, when God’s earth is so wide, have you fallen asleep in prison?"

"The majority of those in Paradise are the simple Who have escaped the snares of philosophy. Strip yourself bare of overweening intellect That grace may ever be shed upon you from above."

"Whereas want of fidelity is shameful even in dogs, How can it be right in men? God Almighty himself makes boast of fidelity Saying 'Who is more faithful to his promise than we?'"

"Open your arms if you desire an embrace, Break the idol of clay that you may behold the face of the fair."

"Earth receives the seed and guards it, Trustfully it dies: Then what teeming life rewards it, For self-sacrifice. With green leaf and clustering blossom Clad, or golden fruit, See it from earth’s cheerless bosom Ever sunward shoot."

"Hearken to the reed-flute, how it discourses When complaining of the pains of separation; 'Ever since they tore me from my osier-bed, My plaintive notes have moved men and women to tears. I burst my breast striving to give vent to sighs, And to express the pangs of yearning for my home; He who abides far away from his home, Is ever longing for the day he shall return.'"

"Come, come for you will not find another friend like Me, Where indeed is a Beloved like Me in all the world? Come, come, and do not spend your life in wandering to and fro, Since there is no market elsewhere for your money."

"Come, and think of Me, Who gave you the faculty of thought, Since from my mine you may purchase an ass-load of rubies; Come, advance towards Him Who gave you a foot, Look with all your eyes upon Him Who gave you an eye."

"That spiritual garden accompanies them everywhere Yet it is never revealed to the eyes of the people, Its fruits ever asking to be gathered, Its fount of life welling up to be drunk."

"We used to be on the earth, ignorant of the earth, Ignorant of the treasure buried within it."

"Thou wert a love-lorn nightingale among owls, The scent of the rose-garden reached thee, and thou didst go to the rose-garden. Thou didst suffer sore headache from this bitter ferment, At last thou wentest to the tavern of eternity."

"'Tis slave-caressing thy love has practised, Else, where is the heart worthy of that love? Every heart that has slept one night in thine air Is like radiant day; thereby the air is illuminated."

"How many letters thou writest with Thy Almighty pen Through marvelling thereat stones become as wax; These letters exercise and perplex reason, Write on, O skilful Fair-writer, Imprinting every moment on Not-being the fair forms Of the world of ideals to confound all thought."

"Mine eye is from that source, and from another universe Here a world and there a world: I am seated on the threshold; On the threshold are they alone, whose eloquence is mute, 'Tis enough to utter this intimation: say no more, draw back thy tongue."

"What pearl art thou that none possesseth the price of thee? What does the world possess that is not thy gift?"