Last updated Sep. 24, 2006
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A Fortunate Fall
Ibn Ata' Allah al-Iskandari
Let's review the sequence of events that led Adam into this world, to clarify their inner significance. First God disclosed the divine presence to Adam by giving him existence, Adam came to know God through this and called out, "O desiring One!" Then God gave knowledge of the divine to Adam through divine commands deciding that approaching the tree was forbidden; Adam came to know God through this and called out, "O deciding One!"
Then God gave knowledge of the divine to Adam through pronouncing judgment upon him for the trespass of his eating what was forbidden; Adam came to know God through this and called out, "O overpowering One!" Then God granted him respite instead of rushing to punish him; Adam came to know God through this and called out, "O forbearing One!"
Then God refrained from revealing Adam's shame; Adam came to know God through this and called out, "O concealing One!" God extended to Adam repentance; Adam called out, "O forgiving One!"
At this point, God made clear to Adam that his disobedience did not sever divine love for him; Adam called out, "O loving One!" Then God caused Adam to descend into the world and lightened for him the toilsome means of survival; Adam called out in acknowledgement, "O Subtle One!" Then God strengthened Adam to do what was required of him in the world; Adam called out in response, "O supporting One!" Then God revealed to Adam the subtle truth concealed in his eating and forbidding and descending; Adam called out in recognition, "O wise One!" Then God reinforced Adam against the tempting enemy's deceptive snares; Adam called out in relief, "O vanquishing One!"
Then God let Adam find felicity in the trials of carrying out his weightily duties; Adam called out, "O helping One!"
Thus God lowered Adam into this world solely to complete for him his experiential knowledge of all the divine names in their comprehensiveness, to make him bear up straight and tall under the burden of his obligations. In Adam, God completed two facets of worshipful humanity: worship in acknowledging the divine presence through intimate knowledge and worship in fulfilling obligations and necessary actions. Through this sequence of events, God greatly enhanced the constant, subtle blessings for Adam and intensified the wholesome divine presence that is with him. Ponder all these facets deeply and understand.
from the Kitab al-Tanwir fi Isqat al-Tadbir
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The Dog
Story of the vow made by the dogs every winter that when next summer comes they will build a house for the winter.
In winter the dog feels cold and so small, that he says: "Having
such a little body, I must build a stone house.
When summer comes, I will build with my claws a stone house
against the cold."
But when summer comes, his bones expand from the relief which
he feels, and his skin grows sleek,
And, when he sees himself stout, he says, "No house is large
enough for me."
He grows stout and slinks into a shady placea lazy, full-fed,
cowardly, self-opinionated creature!
His heart (conscience) says to him, "Get going, build yourself a
house!"
He says, "What house will be good enough for me?"
In the hour of pain the bones of your greed contract,
And you say penitently, "I will build a house: it will be a refuge for
me in winter";
But when the pain is gone and things are not going rough, the
desire for the house departs from you, just as in the case of the dog.
Giving thanks for abundance, is sweeter than the abundance [1] itself:
Should one who is absorbed with the Generous One be distracted
by the gift?
Thankfulness is the soul of beneficence: Abundance is but the
husk,
For thankfulness brings you to the place where the Beloved lives.
Abundance yields heedlessness;
Thankfulness, alertness: Hunt for bounty with the snare of
gratitude to the King [Al-Malik].
The bounty of thanksgiving will make you contented and princely,
so that you will bestow a hundred bounties on the poor.
You will eat your fill of the viands and dessert of God, so that
hunger and begging will depart from you.
[1] I.e. he turns towards the Benefactor instead of occupying himself with the benefit.
Jewels: from the Mathnawi, Book III:28952897
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Prayer
Why the answer to prayer is delayed.
Ah! many earnest suppliants wail forth prayers, till the smoke of their wailing rises to Heaven. Yes, the perfume of the incense of sinners' groans mounts up above the lofty roof of Heaven. Then the angels supplicate God, saying, "O Thou that hearest prayer and relievest pain, Thy faithful slave is bowing down before Thee. He knows of none on whom to rely save Thee. Thou bestowest favours on the helpless. Every suppliant obtains his desire from Thee." God makes answer, "The delay in granting his prayer is intended to benefit him, not to harm him. His pressing need draws him from his negligence to Me. Yes, [it] drags him by the hair into My courts. If I at once remove his need he will go away, and will be destroyed in his idle sports. Though he is wailing with heartfelt cry of 'O Aider!' Bid him wail on with broken heart and contrite breast. His voice sounds sweet in My ears. His wailing and cries of 'O God!' in this way [of] supplication and lamentation prevails with Me altogether."
from Mathnawi, Book VI
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The Thief's drum
by Patzia
Story of the thief who was asked, "What are you doing at the bottom of this wall at midnight?" and replied, "I am beating a drum."
Hear this parable how a wicked thief was cutting a hole
at the bottom of a wall.
The owner of the house, half awake and ill,
heard the soft tapping of the pick, And went on to the roof and hung his head down and said to him,
'What are you doing here at midnight? Who are you?"
He answered, "A drummer, o honorable sir, I'm beating a drum."
The sick man asked, "Where is the noise of the drum, O artful
one[1]?"
The thief answered, "You will hear this noise tomorrow in the cries
of 'Oh, alas!' And 'Oh, woe is me!'"
[1] Literally, "O Father of ways (ingenious expedients)."
from Mathnawi, Book III (p.157,2799-2805)
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The Thief and the Ram
by Patzia
Story of the person whose ram was stolen by some thieves.
Not content with that, they stole his clothes too
by means of a trick.
A certain man had a ram which he was leading along behind him:
a thief carried off the ram, having cut its halter.
As soon as the owner noticed, he began to run to left and right
looking for his stolen ram.
Beside a well he saw the thief crying, "Alas! Woe is me!"
470 "O master," said the first man, "why are you lamenting?"
The thief replied, "My purse full of gold has fallen into the well.
If you can go in and fetch it out, I will give you a fifth of the
hundred dinars in it with pleasure."
The owner of the ram said to himself, "Why, this is the price of ten
rams.
If one door is shut ten doors are opened: if a ram is gone, God
gives a camel in compensation."
He took off his clothes and went into the well: at once the thief
carried away his clothes too.
475 A prudent man is needed to find the way to the village: if
prudence be absent, cupidity brings calamity[1].
The Devil is a mischievous thief: like a phantom, he appears in a
different shape at every moment.
None but God knows his cunning: take refuge with God and
escape from that impostor[2].
[1] Literally, "pestilence."
[2] Or, "imposture."
Mathnawi, book VI
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The Blind Man
by Patzia
Story of the Blind old man's reading the Qur'an in front
of him and regaining his sight when he read
Once upon a time a dervish Shaykh saw a Qur'an in an old blind
man's house.
He became the blind man's guest and the two ascetics were
together for several days.
The Shaykh said to himself, "This man is blind and cannot read, I
wonder what he can do with the Qur'an?"
His perplexity increased while he was occupied with this reflection,
and again he said to himself: "No one lives here except him. He is alone,
yet he has hung the Qur'an on the wall.
I am not so unmannerly or muddled in my wits as to ask him the
reason,
I will be patient, so that through patience I may find out, for
patience is the key to joy!"
At midnight he heard the sound of recitation of the Qur'an; he got
up and beheld a marvel-
The blind man was reciting correctly from the Qur'an. He became
impatient and asked for an explanation:
"Oh you with sightless eyes, how can you read the lines? I can see
that your finger in motion makes it evident that your eyes are resting on
the words."
The blind man replied: "Oh you who have been separated from the
body's ignorance, how can you wonder at the work of God?
I begged of God, 'O You, whose help is sought, I am as covetous
of reading the Book as I am of life.
I do not know it by heart: please give me back my eyes at that
moment, so I may take the Book and read it plain.
The Divine Presence replied: 'O you have hope of Me in every
grief, whenever you want to read the Qur'an,
At that moment I will restore your eyesight, so you may read'.
And so He did. Every time I open the Book to read, that
incomparable King at once gives my sight back to me."
On this account, the saint knows that whatever He takes away, He
sends compensation.
If He burns your vineyard, He will give you grapes; in the middle
of mourning, He will give you joy.
To the handless paralytic he gives a hand, to the person who is a
mine of grief, he gives the joyous heart of an intoxicated one.
Inasmuch as heat comes to me without fire, I am content if He
extinguishes my fire.
Inasmuch as He gives light without any lamp, if your lamp is gone,
why are you lamenting?
Mathnawi, Book III (p.103:1835-1841;p.104:1855-1876)
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The Bird's Wise Counsels
by Patzia
Story of the captive bird which gave the following injunctions: do not
feel sorrow for what is past, think about taking precaution for the
present need, and do not spend time in repenting.
A man caught a bird by guile and trap: the bird said to him, "O
noble sir,
You have eaten many oxen and sheep; youve sacrificed many
camels;
And it hasn't satisfied your hunger; eating me won't satisfy it
either.
Let me go that I may give you three counsels so you may
perceive whether I am wise or foolish.
I'll give you the first one of those counsels while on your hand,
the second of them from your plastered roof,
And the third counsel I will give you from a tree. Let me go for
you will become fortunate from these three counsels.
The first one, from your hand is this: "do not believe an
absurdity when you hear it from anyone."
When the bird had uttered the first grave counsel on the man's
palm, it became free and perched on the wall of the house.
The bird said, "The second is this, do not grieve for what is
past; and when it has passed from you, don't feel regret for it.'"
Still from the wall, he continued, "Inside my body is hidden a
single large and precious pearl, weighing ten dirhams.
As sure as you live, by the soul's truth, that jewel was your
fortune and the luck of your children.
You've missed the pearl; it wasn't up to you to gain ita pearl
the like of which is not in existence!"
Hearing this, the man began to cry loudly.
The bird said to him, "Didn't I warn you saying, Let there be no
grief for what's passed?'
Since it is past and gone, why are you grieving? Either you
didn't understand my advice, or you are deaf.
And what about the first piece of advice I gave you, Don't
believe absurd statements?'
I myself don't weigh ten dirhams: how should the weight of ten
dirhams be in me?"
The man recovered his wits and said to the bird, "Please give
me the third piece of excellent counsel."
"Yes," said the bird, "after seeing the use you made of the first
two, telling you the third one would be in vain!"
To give counsel to a sleepy ignoramus is to scatter seed in
nitrous soil. O counselor, don't give the seed of wisdom to a fool.
from the Mathnawi, Book IV 2245 2265
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