Chapter:2 part 1

The Morals of Dervishes

Story 1

One of the great devotees having been asked about his opinion concerning a hermit whom others had censured in their conversation, he replied: 'I do not see any external blemishes on him and do not know of internal ones.'

Whomsoever thou seest in a religious habit Consider him to be a religious and good man And, if thou knowest not his internal condition, What business has the muhtasib inside the house?

Story 2

I saw a dervish who placed his head upon the threshold of the Ka'bah, groaned, and said: 'O forgiving,

merciful one, thou knowest what an unrighteous, ignorant man can offer to thee.'

1 have craved pardon for the deficiency of my service Because I can implore no reward for my obedience. Sinners repent of their transgressions.

Arifs ask forgiveness for their imperfect worship.

Devotees desire a reward for their obedience and merchants the price of their wares but I, who am a worshipper, have brought hope and not obedience. I have come to beg and not to trade. Deal with me as thou deemest fit.

Whether thou killest me or forgivest my crime,

my face and head are on thy threshold.

A slave has nothing to command; whatever thou commandest I obey.

I saw a mendicant at the door of the Ka'bah

Who said this and wept abundantly:

'I ask not for the acceptance of my service

But for drawing the pen of pardon over my sins.'

Story 3

I saw A'bd-u-Qader Gaillani in the sanctuary of the Ka'bah with his face on the pebbles and saying: 'O lord, pardon my sins and, if I deserve punishment, cause me to arise blind on the day of resurrection that I may not be ashamed in the sight of the righteous.'

With my face on the earth of helplessness

I say Every morning as soon as i become conscious: O thou whom I shall never forget Wilt thou at all remember thy slave?

Story 4

A thief paid a visit to the house of a pious man but, although he sought a great deal, found nothing and was much grieved. The pious man, who knew this, threw the blanket upon which he had been sleeping into the way of the thief that he might not go away disappointed.

1 heard that men of the way of God Have not distressed the hearts of enemies. How canst thou attain that dignity

Who quarrelest and wagest war against friends?

The friendship of pure men, whether in thy presence or absence, is not such as Will find fault behind thy back and is ready to die for thee before thy face.

In thy presence gentle like a lamb,

In thy absence like a man-devouring wolf.

Who brings the faults of another to thee and enumerates them Will undoubtedly carry thy faults to others.

Story 5

Several travellers were on a journey together and equally sharing each other's troubles and comforts. I desired to accompany them but they would not agree. Then I said: 'It is foreign to the manners of great men to turn away the face from the company of the poor and so deprive themselves of the advantage they might derive therefrom because I for one consider myself sufficiently strong and energetic to be of service to men and not an encumbrance. Although I am not riding on a beast, I shall aid you in carrying blankets.' One of them said: 'Do not be grieved at the words thou hast heard because some days ago a thief in the guise of a dervish arrived and joined our company.'

How can people know who is in the dress? The writer is aware what the book contains.

As the state of dervishes is safe, they entertained no suspicion about him and received him as a friend.

The outward state of Arifs is the patched dress. It suffices as a display to the face of the people.

Strive by thy acts to be good and wear anything thou listest.

Place a crown on thy head and a flag on thy back.

The abandoning of the world, of lust, and of desire

Is sanctity, not the abandonment of the robe only.

It is necessary to show manhood in the fight.

Of what profit are weapons of war to an hermaprodite? We travelled one day till the night set in during which we slept near a fort and the graceless thief, taking up the water-pot of a companion, pretending to go for an ablution, departed for plunder.

A pretended saint who wears the dervish garb

Has made of the Ka'bah's robes the covering of an ass.

After disappearing from the sight of the dervishes, he went to a tower from which he stole a casket and, when the day dawned, the dark-hearted wretch had already progressed a considerable distance. In the morning the guiltless sleeping companions were all taken to the fort and thrown into prison. From that date we renounced companionship and took the road of solitude, according to the maxim: Safety is in solitude.

When one of a tribe has done a foolish thing No honour is left either to the low or the high. Seest thou not how one ox of the pasturage Defiles all oxen of the village?

I replied: 'Thanks be to the God of majesty and glory, I have not been excluded from the advantages enjoyed by dervishes, although I have separated myself from their society. I have profited by what thou hast narrated to me and this admonition will be of use through life to persons like me.'

For one rude fellow in the assembly

The heart of intelligent men is much grieved.

If a tank be filled with rose-water

A dog falling into it pollutes the whole.

Story 6

A hermit, being the guest of a padshah, ate less than he wished when sitting at dinner and when he rose for prayers he prolonged them more than was his wont in order to enhance the opinion entertained by the padshah of his piety.

O Arab of the desert, I fear thou wilt not reach the Ka'bah Because the road on which thou travellest leads to Turkestan.

When he returned to his own house, he desired the table to be laid out for eating. He had an intelligent son who said: Father, hast thou not eaten anything at the repast of the sultan?' He replied: 'I have not eaten anything to serve a purpose.' The boy said: 'Then likewise say thy prayers again as thou hast not done anything to serve that purpose.'

O thou who showest virtues on the palms of the hand But concealest thy errors under the armpit

What wilt thou purchase, O vain-glorious fool, On the day of distress with counterfeit silver?

Story 7

1 remember, being in my childhood pious, rising in the night, addicted to devotion and abstinence.

One night I was sitting with my father, remaining awake and holding the beloved Quran in my lap, whilst the people around us were asleep. I said: 'Not one of these persons lifts up his head or makes a genuflection. They are as fast asleep as if they were dead.' He replied: 'Darling of thy father, would that thou wert also asleep rather than disparaging people.'

The pretender sees no one but himself Because he has the veil of conceit in front. If he were endowed with a God-discerning eye He would see that no one is weaker than himself.

Story 8

A great man was praised in an assembly and, his good qualities being extolled, he raised his head and said: 'I am such as I know myself to be.'

O thou who reckonest my virtues, refrainest from giving me pain, These are my open, and thou knowest not my hidden, qualities.

My person is, to the eyes of the world, of good aspect

But my internal wickedness makes me droop my head with shame.

The peacock is for his beauteous colours by the people

Praised whilst he is ashamed of his ugly feet.

Story 9

One of the devotees of Mount Lebanon, whose piety was famed in the Arab country and his miracles well known, entered the cathedral mosque of Damascus and was performing his purificatory ablution on the edge of a tank when his feet slipped and he fell into the reservoir but saved himself with great trouble. After the congregation had finished their prayers, one of his companions said: 'I have a difficulty.' He asked: 'What is it?' He continued: 'I remember that the sheikh walked on the surface of the African sea without his feet getting wetted and today he nearly perished in this paltry water which is not deeper than a man's stature. What reason is there in this?' The sheikh drooped his head into the bosom of meditation and said after a long pause: 'Hast thou not heard that the prince of the world, Muhammad the chosen, upon whom be the benediction of Allah and peace, has said: I have time with Allah during which no cherubim nor inspired prophet is equal to me?' But he did not say that such was always the case. The time alluded to was when Gabriel or Michael inspired him whilst on other occasions he was satisfied with the society of Hafsah and Zainab. The visions of the righteous one are between brilliancy and obscurity.

Thou showest thy countenance and then hidest it Enhancing thy value and augmenting our desire.

1 behold whom I love without an intervention. Then a trance befalls me; I lose the road;

It kindles fire, then quenches it with a sprinkling shower. Wherefore thou seest me burning and drowning.

Story 10

One asked the man who had lost his son:

'O noble and intelligent old man!

As thou hast smelt the odour of his garment from Egypt

Why hast thou not seen him in the well of Canaan?'

He replied:

'My state is that of leaping lightning. One moment it appears and at another vanishes. I am sometimes sitting in high heaven. Sometimes I cannot see the back of my foot. Were a dervish always to remain in that state He would not care for the two worlds.'

Story 11

I spoke in the cathedral mosque of Damascus a few words by way of a sermon but to a congregation whose hearts were withered and dead, not having travelled from the road of the world of form, the physical, to the world of meaning, the moral world. I perceived that my words took no effect and that burning fire does not kindle moist wood. I was sorry for instructing brutes and holding forth a mirror in a locality of blind people. I had, however, opened the door of meaning and was giving a long explanation of the verse We are nearer unto Him than the jugular vein till I said:

'The Friend is nearer to me than my self, But it is more strange that I am far from him. What am I to do? To whom can it be said that he Is in my arms, but I am exiled from him.'

I had intoxicated myself with the wine of these sentiments, holding the remnant of the cup of the sermon in my hand when a traveller happened to pass near the edge of the assembly, and the last turn of the circulating cup made such an impression upon him that he shouted and the others joined him who began to roar, whilst the raw portion of the congregation became turbulent. Whereon I said: 'Praise be to Allah! Those who are far away but intelligent are in the presence of Allah, and those who are near but blind are distant.'

When the hearer understands not the meaning of words

Do not look for the effect of the orator's force

But raise an extensive field of desire

That the eloquent man may strike the ball of effect.

Story 12

One night I had in the desert of Mekkah become so weak from want of sleep that I was unable to walk and, laying myself down, told the camel driver to let me alone.

How far can the foot of a wretched pedestrian go

When a dromedary gets distressed by its load? Whilst the body of a fat man becomes lean A weak man will be dead of exhaustion.

He replied: 'O brother, the sanctuary is in front of us and brigands in the rear. If thou goest thou wilt prosper. If thou sleepest thou wilt die.'

It is pleasant to sleep under an acacia on the desert road

But alas ! thou must bid farewell to life on the night of departure.

Story 13

I saw a holy man on the seashore who had been wounded by a tiger. No medicine could relieve his pain; he suffered much but he nevertheless constantly thanked God the most high, saying: 'Praise be to Allah that I have fallen into a calamity and not into sin.'

If that beloved Friend decrees me to be slain I shall not say that moment that I grieve for life Or say: What fault has thy slave committed? My grief will be for having offended thee.

Story 14

A dervish who had fallen into want stole a blanket from the house of a friend. The judge ordered his hand to be amputated but the owner of the blanket interceded, saying that he had condoned the fault. The judge rejoined: Thy intercession cannot persuade me to neglect the provision of the law.' The man continued: Thou hast spoken the truth but amputation is not applicable to a person who steals some property dedicated to pious uses. More over a beggar possesses nothing and whatever belongs to a dervish is dedicated to the use of the needy.' Thereon the judge released the culprit, saying: 'The world must indeed have become too narrow for thee that thou hast committed no theft except from the house of such a friend.' He replied: 'Hast thou not heard the saying: Sweep out the house of friends and do not knock at the door of foes.'

If thou sinkest in a calamity be not helpless.

Strip thy foes of their skins and thy friends of their fur-coats.

Story 15

A padshah, meeting a holy man, asked him whether he did not sometimes remember him for the purpose of getting presents. He replied: 'Yes, I do, whenever I forget God.'

Whom He drives from his door, runs everywhere. Whom He calls, runs to no one's door.

Story 16

A pious man saw in a dream a padshah in paradise and a devotee in hell whereon he asked for the reason of the former's exaltation and the latter's degradation, saying that he had imagined the contrary

ought to be the case. He received the following answer: 'The padshah had, for the love he bore to dervishes, been rewarded with paradise and the devotee had, for associating with padshahs, been punished in hell.'

Of what use is thy frock, rosary and patched dress? Keep thyself free from despicable practices. Then thou wilt have no need of a cap of leaves. Have the qualities of a dervish and wear a Tatar cap.

Story 17

A bareheaded and barefooted pedestrian who had arrived from Kufah with the Hejaz-caravan of pilgrims joined us, strutted about and recited:

'I am neither riding a camel nor under a load like a camel. I am neither a lord of subjects nor the slave of a potentate. Grief for the present, or distress for the past, does not trouble me. I draw my breath in comfort and thus spend my life.'

A camel-rider shouted to him: 'O dervish, where art thou going? Return, for thou wilt expire from hardships.' He paid no attention but entered the desert and marched. When we reached the station at the palm-grove of Mahmud, the rich man was on the point of death and the dervish, approaching his pillow, said: 'We have not expired from hardship but thou hast died on a dromedary.'

A man wept all night near the head of a patient. When the day dawned he died and the patient revived.

Many a fleet charger had fallen dead While a lame ass reached the station alive. Often healthy persons were in the soil Buried and the wounded did not die.

Story 18

A hermit, having been invited by a padshah, concluded that if he were to take some medicine to make himself weak he might perhaps enhance the opinion of the padshah regarding his merits. But it is related that the medicine was lethal so that when he partook of it he died.

Who appeared to thee all marrow like a pistachio Was but skin upon skin like an onion. Devotees with their face towards the world Say their prayers with their back to the Qiblah. When a worshipper calls upon his God, He must know no one besides God.

Story 19

A caravan having been plundered in the Yunan country and deprived of boundless wealth, the merchants wept and lamented, beseeching God and the prophet to intercede for them with the robbers, but ineffectually.

When a dark-minded robber is victorious What cares he for the weeping of the caravan?

Loqman the philosopher being among the people of the caravan, one of them asked him to speak a few words of wisdom and advice to the robbers so that they might perhaps return some of the property they had plundered because the loss of so much wealth would be lamentable. Loqman replied: 'It would be lamentable to utter one word of wisdom to them.'

The rust which has eaten into iron Cannot be removed by polishing. Of what use is preaching to a black heart? An iron nail cannot be driven into a rock.

Help the distressed in the day of prosperity Because comforting the poor averts evil from thyself. When a mendicant implores thee for a thing, Give it or else an oppressor may take it by force.

Story 20

Despite the abundant admonitions of the most illustrious Sheikh Abulfaraj Ben Juzi to shun musical entertainments and to prefer solitude and retirement, the budding of my youth overcame me, my sensual desires were excited so that, unable to resist them, I walked some steps contrary to the opinion of my tutor, enjoying myself in musical amusements and convivial meetings. When the advice of my sheikh occurred to my mind, I said:

'If the qazi were sitting with us, he would clap his hands.

If the muhtasib were bibbing wine, he would excuse a drunkard.'

Thus I lived till I paid one night a visit to an assembly of people in which I saw a musician.

Thou wouldst have said he is tearing up the vital artery with his fiddle-bow.

His voice was more unpleasant than the wailing of one who lost his father.

The audience now stopped their ears with their fingers, and now put them on their lips to silence him. We became ecstatic by the sounds of pleasing songs but thou art such a singer that when thou art silent we are pleased.

No one feels pleased by thy performance

Except at the time of departure when thou pleasest.

When that harper began to sing

I said to the host: 'For God's sake

Put mercury in my ear that I may not hear

Or open the door that I may go away.'

In short, I tried to please my friends and succeeded after a considerable struggle in spending the whole night there.

The muezzin shouted the call to prayers out of time, Not knowing how much of the night had elapsed. Ask the length of the night from my eyelids For sleep did not enter my eyes one moment.

In the morning I took my turban from my head, with one dinar from my belt by way of gratification, and placed them before the musician whom I embraced and thanked. My friends who saw that my appreciation of his merits was unusual attributed it to the levity of my intellect and laughed secretly. One of them, however, lengthened out his tongue of objection and began to reproach me, saying that I had committed an act repugnant to intelligent men by bestowing a portion of my professional dress upon a musician who had all his life not a dirhem laid upon the palm of his hand nor filings of silver or of gold placed on his drum.

A musician! Far be he from this happy abode. No one ever saw him twice in the same place. As soon as the shout rose from his mouth The hair on the bodies of the people stood on end. The fowls of the house, terrified by him, flew away Whilst he distracted our senses and tore his throat.

I said: 'It will be proper to shorten the tongue of objection because his talent has become evident to me.' He then asked me to explain the quality of it in order to inform the company so that all might apologize for the jokes they had cracked about me. I replied: Although my sheikh had often told me to abandon musical entertainments and had given me abundant advice, I did not mind it. This night my propitious horoscope and my august luck have guided me to this place where I have, on hearing the performance of this musician, repented and vowed never again to attend at singing and convivial parties.'

A pleasant voice, from a sweet palate, mouth and lips, Whether employed in singing or not, enchants the heart But the melodies of lovers of Isfahan or of the Hejaz From the windpipe of a bad singer are not nice.

Story 21

Loqman, being asked from whom he had learnt civility, replied: From those who had no civility because what appeared to me unbecoming in them I refrained from doing.'

Not a word is said even in sport without an intelligent man taking advice thereby.

But if a hundred chapters of wisdom are read to a fool All strike his ear merely as sport.

Story 22

It is related that a hermit consumed during one night ten mann of food and perused the whole Quran till morning. A pious fellow who had heard of this said: 'It would have been more excellent if he had eaten half a loaf and slept till the morning.'

Keep thy interior empty of food

That thou mayest behold therein the light of marifet.

Thou art empty of wisdom for the reason

That thou art replete with food up to the nose.

Story 23

A man had by his sins forfeited the divine favour but the lamp of grace nevertheless so shone upon his path that it guided him into the circle of religious men and, by the blessing of his association with dervishes, as well as by the example of their righteousness, the depravities of his character were transmuted into virtues and he refrained from lust and passion. But the tongues of the malevolent were lengthened with reference to his character, alleging that it was the same as it had ever been and that his abstinence and piety were spurious.

By apology and penitence one may be saved from the wrath of God But cannot be saved from the tongues of men.

He could no longer bear the reviling tongues and complained to the pir of the Tariqat. The sheikh wept and said: 'How wilt thou be able to be sufficiently grateful for this divine favour that thou art better than the people imagine?'

How long wilt thou say: 'The malevolent and envious

Are searching out the defects of my humble self.

Sometimes they arise to shed my blood.

Sometimes they sit down to curse me.'

To be good and to be in spoken of by the people

Is better than to be bad and considered good by them.

Look at me whom the good opinion of our contemporaries deems to be perfect whereas I am imperfection itself.

If I were doing what I speak

I would be of good conduct and a devotee.

Verily I am veiled from the eyes of my neighbours But Allah knows my secret and my overt concerns.

The door is locked to the access of people That they may not spread out my faults. What profiteth a closed door? The Omniscient know what i conceal or reveal.