Muslims From Iran

"O brave friend, grasp His skirt, Who is removed alike from the world above and below; Who will abide with thee in the house and abroad When thou lackest house and home He will bring forth peace out of perturbations And when thou art afflicted, will keep His promise."

"Thou wilt never more endure without the flame, when thou hast known the rapture of burning. If the water of life should come to thee, it would not stir thee from the flame."

"As the arrow speeds from the bow, like the bird of your imagination Know that the Absolute will certainly flee from the imaginary; His name will flee when it sees an attempt at speech; He will flee from you so that if you limn his picture The picture will fly from the tablet, the impression will flee from the soul."

"When the drop departed from its native home and returned It found a shell and became a pearl. Did not Joseph go on a journey from his father weeping? Did he not in the journey come to fortune and kingdom and victory?"

"When, O spiritual one, thou hast become thy own fortune Then, being thyself thy fortune, thou wilt never lose it How, O fortunate one, cans't thou ever lose thyself When thy real self is thy treasure and thy kingdom."

"Traditional knowledge when inspiration is available Is like making ablutions with sand when water is near Make yourself ignorant, be submissive, and then You will obtain release from your ignorance."

"When the discourse touched on the matter of love, Pen was broken and paper torn; None but the sun can display the sun. If you would see it displayed, turn not away from it."

"Should envy fill thy breast ’gainst one that envies not Foul stains ensue; thy heart’s impure; all good’s forgot Prostrate thyself then at the feet of holy men, Cast dust upon thy head, God’s pardon to obtain."

"When thou endurest not the pains of abstinence, And fulfillest not the terms, thou gainest no reward; How easy those terms! how abundant that reward! A reward that enchants the heart and charms the soul."

"When the preacher himself has no light or life, How can his words yield leaves and fruit? He impudently preaches to others to walk aright, While himself he is unsteady as a reed shaken by wind. Thus though his preaching is very eloquent, It hides within it unsteadiness in the faith."

"Since all things are dependent on probability, Religion is so first of all, for thereby you find release. In this world no knocking at the door is possible Save hope, and God knows what is best."

"He whose intellect overcomes his desire is higher than the angels; he whose desire overcomes his intellect is less than an animal."

"When God decides to humble any sinner proud A demon stirs this last to insult some man of God And he whom God elects to cloak where 'tis he halts Has grace bestowed on him to cover others' faults."

"Having chosen thy Director, be not weak of heart Nor yet sluggish and lax like water and mud; But if thou takest umbrage at every rub How wilt thou become a polished mirror?"

"Since you are properly a clod you will not rise into the air; You will rise into the air if you break and become dust, If you break not, He who moulded you will break you."

"Since the latter of your states were better than the former, Seek annihilation and adore change of state; You have already seen hundreds of resurrections Occur every moment from your origin till now; One from the inorganic state to the vegetive state, From the vegetive state to the animal state of trial; Thence again to rationality and good discernment, Again you will rise from this world of sense and form."

"As there are many demons with men’s faces, It is wrong to join hands with every one."

"Our wakefulness fetters our spirits, Then our souls are a prey to various whims, Thoughts of loss and gain and fears of misery. They retain not purity nor dignity nor lustre, Nor aspiration to soar heavenwards. That one is really sleeping who hankers after each whim And holds parley with each fancy."

"When you have seen the millstone turning round, Then, prithee, go and see the stream that turns it. When you have seen the dust rising up into the air, Go and mark the air in the midst of the dust. You see the kettles of thought boiling over, Look with intelligence at the fire beneath them. God said to Job "Out of my clemency I have given a grain of patience to every hair of thine" Look not then, so much at your own patience, After seeing patience, look to the giver of patience."

"Whereas the springhead is undying, its branch gives water continually; Since neither can cease, why are you lamenting? Conceive the Soul as a fountain and these created things as rivers; While the fountain flows, the rivers run from it Put grief out of your head, and keep quaffing this river water, Do not think of the water failing; for this water is without end."

"Such grace and beauty and loveliness and bestowal of life, O misery and error, if anyone dispense with Him! Fly, fly O bird, to thy native home, For thou hast escaped from the cage, and thy pinions are outspread. Travel away from the bitter stream towards the water of life, Return from the vestibule to the high seat of the soul."

"Were there no hostility, war would be impossible, Hadst thou no lust, obedience to the law could not be Hadst thou no concupiscence there could be no abstinence Where no antagonist exists, what need is there of armies?"

"How long shall we, like children in the earthly sphere Fill our lap with dust and stones and sherds? Let us give up the earth and fly heavenwards, Let us flee from childhood to the banquet of men."

"When thou seest in the pathway a severed head, Which is rolling toward our field, Ask of it, ask of it the secrets of the heart, For of it thou wilt learn our hidden mystery."

"Weave no more with soot, like the spider, a web of care, Wherein both woof and warp are rotten. While thou art silent, His speech is thy speech, While thou weavest not, God is the weaver."

"When the sun goeth up, where stayeth night? When the joy of bounty came, where lagged affliction?"

"Why should a falcon not fly from the quarry towards the King When it hears by drum and drum-stick the notice of 'Return?' Why should not every Sufi begin to dance like a mote, In the sun of eternity that it may deliver him from decay."

"Why does not the soul take wing when from the glorious presence A speech of sweet favour comes to it saying, 'Aloft!'"

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

"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."

"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."

"'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."

"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."

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

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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.'"

"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."

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

"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?'"

"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."

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

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

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

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

"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."

"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."

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

"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."