All Quotes

"The khalifa said to Laila ‘Art thou really she For whom Majnun lost his head and went distracted? Thou art not fairer than many other fair ones.’ She replied, ‘Be silent; thou art not Majnun! If thou hadst Majnun’s eyes, The two world’s would be within thy view."

"The Prophet said to Ali ‘O Ali Thou art the Lion of God, a hero most valiant; Yet confide not in thy lion-like valour But seek refuge under the palm-trees of the truth Come under the shadow of the Man of Reason, Thou canst not find it in the road of the traditionists. His shadow on earth is as that of Mount Qaf, His spirit is as a Simurgh soaring on high. Were I to tell his praises till the last day My words would not be too many nor admit of curtailment; That sun is hidden in the form of a man Understand me. Allah knows the truth."

"The Prophet said that God has declared, ‘I am not contained in aught above or below, I am not contained in earth or sky or even In highest heaven, know this for a surety, O beloved, Yet am I contained in the believer’s heart, If ye seek Me, search in such hearts.’"

"Cease to behave as wolves and dogs that you may experience the Shepherd’s love."

"As a stone which is changed into a pure ruby Is filled with the bright light of the sun, In that stone its own properties abide not It is filled with the sun’s properties altogether."

"You wish to have both God and the base world together, This is impossible, ridiculous and mad."

"God sent the prophets for this purpose Namely to sever infidelity from faith, Infidel and faithful, Mussalman and Jew, Before the prophets came, seemed all as one."

"All the four elements are seething in this cauldron (the world) None is at rest, neither earth nor fire nor water nor air Now earth takes the form of grass on account of desire Now water becomes air for the sake of this affinity, By way of unity water becomes fire Fire also becomes air in this expanse by reason of love."

"Both sorts of bee (i.e. bee and wasp) draw nourishment from one place but from this comes the sting and from that other the honey. Both sort of deer feed on the same grass and water; by this only dung is produced, by that pure musk. Both reeds (the common reed and the sugar-cane) are fed from one source; this one is hollow, while that one is full of sugar."

"He, the door of whose breast has been opened, sees the sun reflected in every atom."

"Impossibities are possible to Him, The stubbornest is docile when His will curbs whim, The blind from birth, the leper, e’en the dead arise Whole, sound, whene’er the Omnipotent ‘Come forth!’ but cries. His smallest daily toil, a work-like pleasure still, Is to send forth three armies, bound to work His will."

"Every moment the voice of Love is coming from left and right We are bound for heaven; who has a mind to sight-seeing?"

"Every form you see has its archetype in the placeless world, If the form perished, no matter, since its original is everlasting, Every fair shape you have seen, every deep saying you have heard, Be not cast down that it perished, for that is not so."

"The noise of clapping of hands is never heard From one of thy hands unaided by the other hand The man athirst cries, ‘Where is delicious water?’ Water too cries ‘Where is the water-drinker?’ This thirst in my soul is the attraction of the water I am the water’s and the water is mine."

"Know you a name without a thing answering to it? Have you ever plucked a rose (Gul) from Gaf and Lam? You name His name; go seek the reality named by it. Look for the moon in heaven, not in the water. If you desire to rise above mere names and letters Make yourself free from self at one stroke."

"Ah! O crow, give up this life and live anew! In view of God’s changes cast away your life! Choose the new, give up the old, For each single present year is better than three past."

"Ah! make not thyself a eunuch, become not a monk, Because chastity is mortgaged to lust. Without lust, denial of lust is impossible, No man can display bravery against the dead."

"His argument is this; he says again and again ‘If there were aught beyond this life, we should see it.’ But if the child sees not the state of reason, Does the man of reason therefore forsake reason? And if the man of reason sees not the state of love Is the blessed moon of love thereby eclipsed?"

"Jesus, thy spirit, is present beside thee, Ask aid of Him for He is a sufficient helper."

"Jesus, son of Mary, went to heaven and his ass remained below, I remain on the earth but my spirit has flown to the sky."

"Love is that flame which, when it is kindled, Devours everything except the Beloved."

"This is Love; to fly heavenward To rend every instant a hundred veils."

"Love of God cuts short reasonings, O beloved, For it is a present refuge from perplexities. Through love bewilderment befalls the power of speech It no longer dares to utter what passes; Therefore it closes lips from saying good or bad So that its treasure may not escape it."

"Love and mistress are both veiled and hidden Impute it not as a fault if I call Him ‘Bride.’ I would have kept silence from fear of my Beloved If He had granted me but a moment’s respite. But He said, ‘Speak on, ’tis no fault, ’Tis naught but the necessary result of the hidden decree ’Tis a fault only to him who only sees faults How can the Pure Hidden Spirit notice faults.’"

"Union exists beyond all thought and speech Between great Allah and the soul of each."

"The world without that king is like a headless body; Fold yourself turban-wise, round such a head. Unless you are black, do not let the mirror go from your hand The soul is your mirror, while the body is rust."

"Although a fool may show you sympathy At the end he will wound you with his folly."

"The souls of our first parents, even before their hands, Flew away from fidelity after vain pleasure."

"My soul is grown weary of Pharaoh and his tyranny, I desire the light of the countenance of Moses, son of ʿImran."

"When thou seest my hearse, cry not, ‘parted! parted!’ Union and meeting are mine in that hour. If thou commit to the grave, say not ‘farewell! farewell!’ For the grave is a curtain hiding the communion of Paradise."

"The soul resembles a clear mirror, the body is dust upon it, Our beauty is invisible since we are under the dust."

"The soul resembles day and the body night and we in the middle Are like the dawn between oar own day and night."

"The bough’s attraction drew the sap from root to summit, Even as attraction draws the soul upward without a ladder."

"Exert thyself, O man; put shoulder to the wheel The prophets and the saints to imitate in zeal. Exertion’s not a struggle against Providence, ’Twas Providence enjoined it; made it our defence Blasphemer may I be, if ever single man Bestowed in vain one effort to fulfil God’s plan."

"Love exalts our earthly bodies to heaven, And makes the very hills to dance with joy! O Lover, ’twas love that gave life to Mount Sinai When it quaked and Moses fell down in a swoon. Did my Beloved only touch me with his lips I too, like the flute would burst out in melody."

"Pleasures of the flesh are as nuts and raisins, O son, If you are a man dispense with these two things; And if you dispense with them the goodness of God Will set you above the nine heavens."

"The bodies of the righteous are as pure souls Their words, their actions, their praises Are all as a pure soul without spot or blemish."

"Can eye now behold Thee as truly Thou art? Can heart Thy love picture and smiles e’en in part? The heart that’s a slave to a love or a smile Can never be worthy to see thee awhile. Engrossed he that’s now with pleasure and pain Can he by these accidents live o’er again? Green pastures of love in their infinitude More fruits yield than care and than beatitude."

"The motion of every atom is towards its origin A man comes to be the thing on which he is bent; By the attraction of yearning and fondness the soul and the heart Assume the qualities of the Beloved and the soul of souls."

"Men are moved by God’s decree and fixed ordinance, As sharp-set teeth are caused by heat of belly, 'Tis Primal Soul that dominates the Second Soul."

"What seed went down into the earth but it grew, Why this doubt of thine as regards the seed of man?"

"Our every motion every moment testifies For it proves the presence of the everlasting God, So the revolution of the millstone so violent Testifies to the existence of a stream of water. O Thou who art above our conception and descriptions, Dust be upon our heads and upon our similitudes of Thee."

"The idol of your self is the mother of all idols. To regard the self as easy to subdue is a mistake."

"If you wish mercy, show mercy to the weak."

"If you dig a pit for others to fall into, you will fall into it yourself."

"Many of the faults you see in others, dear reader, are your own nature reflected in them."

"The lion who breaks the enemy's ranks is a minor hero compared to the lion who overcomes himself."

"Whoever gives reverence receives reverence."

"Were there no men of vision, all who are blind would be dead."

"If you are wholly perplexed and in straits, have patience, for patience is the key to joy."