Explaining that prayer and fasting and all external things are witnesses to the inner light.

(183) This prayer and fasting and pilgrimage and holy war are the attestation of the belief.

(184) The giving of alms and presents and the abandonment of envy are the attestation of one’s secret thoughts.

(185) Dishes of food and hospitality are for the purpose of declaring that “we, O noble, have become in true accord with you.”

(186) Gifts and presents and offerings bear witness, “I am pleased with you.”

(187) Any one exerts himself in money or in conjuration, what is it ? “I have a jewel within.

(188) I have a jewel, namely, abstinence or generosity”: this alms-giving and fasting are witnesses in regard to both.

(189) Fasting says, “He has abstained from what is lawful: know that he has no connection with what is unlawful”;

(190) And his alms-giving said, “He gives of his own property: how, then, should he steal from the religious ?”

(191) If he acts as a pick-pocket, then the two witnesses are invalidated in the court of Divine justice.

(225) O melodious sweet-voiced Bilal, go up into the minaret, beat the drum of departure.”

(226) Whilst the body is standing, the spirit is gone on its journey: hence at the moment of return it says, “Salam !”

(227) It liberates all from performing the ablution with sand, and seekers of the qibla from endeavouring to ascertain the proper direction.

(232) Satiety is from God, but how should the unclean attain unto satiety without the mediation of bread ?

(233) Beauty is from God, but the hedonist does not feel beauty without the veil of the garden.

(234) When the bodily medium is removed, he perceives without screen, like Moses, the light of the Moon from bosom.

(235) These virtues possessed by the water bear witness likewise that its interior is filled with the grace of God.

(221) Truly, what is meant by this water is the spirit of the saints, which washes away your dark stains.

Explaining that the light itself from within the illumined person bears witness to his light, without any act or word declaring it.

(243) His being a witness is independent of witnesses and works of supererogation and of self-devotion and self-sacrifice.

(244) Since the light of that substance has shone forth, he has gained independence of these hypocrisies.

(245) Therefore do not demand of him the testimony of act and speech, for through him both the worlds have blossomed like a rose.

(246) What is this testimony ? The making manifest of that which is hidden, whether word or act or something else;

(247) For its object is to make manifest the inward nature of the spiritual substance: the attributes are permanent, though these accidents are fleeting.

(248) The mark of the gold on the touchstone does not remain, the gold remains—of good renown and undoubted.

(249) Similarly, this ritual prayer and holy war and fasting does not remain, but the spirit remains in good renown.

(259) When your witness has been proved honest, it is accepted; otherwise, it is kept in detention as a prisoner.

(260) O recalcitrant one, so long as you contend they will contend. Lie in wait for them, then ! Truly, they are lying in wait.

How Mustafá, on whom be peace, offered the Testimony to his guest.

(261) This discourse has no end. Mustafá offered the Faith, and the youth accepted.

(262) That Testimony which has ever been blessed and has ever loosed the bound chains.

(263) He became a true believer. Mustafá said to him, “Be my guest to-night also.”

(264) "By God,” said he, “I am your guest unto everlasting. Wherever I am, to whatever place I go,

(265) I am made living by you and liberated by you, and am your doorkeeper at your table in this world and in the next.

(277) The Arab became the Prophet’s guest that night: he drank half the milk of a single goat and closed his lips.

(278) He urged him to drink the milk and eat the scones. “By God,” said he, “in all sincerity I have eaten my fill.

(279) This is not hypocrisy or affectation and artifice: I have become fuller than I was yesterday.”

(280) All the people of the house were left in astonishment this lamp had been filled by this one drop of oil !

(281) And that what is a swift’s food should become the filling the belly of such an elephant.

(282) Whispering arose amongst the men and women— “That man who has the body of an elephant eats as little as a fly !”

(283) The greed and vanity of unbelief was overthrown: the dragon was satisfied with the food of an ant.

(284) The beggar-like greediness of unbelief departed from him: the sweet food of the Faith made him stout and strong.

(285) He who was quivering from ravenous hunger beheld, like Mary, the fruit of Paradise.

(286) The fruit of Paradise sped to his body: his Hell-like belly gained repose.

(287) The essence of the Faith is a mighty blessing and exceedingly delicious food, O you who are content with naught of the Faith but the profession !

Explaining that the Light (Noor) which is the food of the spirit becomes the food of the saint’s body, so that it also becomes friendly with the spirit, “My satan has accepted Islam at my hands.”

(290) How should the devil become a Moslem until it drink of the sweet food by which the dead is made living (Haiyaat) ?

(291) The devil is passionately in love with the world, blind and deaf; love, no doubt, may be cut off by another love.

(292) When it tastes the wine from the cellar of clairvoyance, little by little it will transfer its love there.

(293) O you, whose belly is greedy, turn away thus: the only method is change of food.

(297) Feed on the Light, be like the eye, and be in accord with the angels, O best of mankind.

(298) Like the Angel, make the glorification of God your food, that like the angels you may be delivered from vexation.

(393) This is the account of the bent duck, which is greed: learn of Khalíl that the duck ought to be killed.

(394) In the duck there is much good and evil besides this, I am afraid of missing other topics of discourse.

Description of the Peacock and its nature, and the cause of its being killed by Abraham, on whom be peace.

(395) Now we come to the two-coloured peacock, who displays himself for the sake of name and fame.

(401) From that pursuit and throng and vainglory and self existence will you get any warp or woof ? Try and see !

(402) Most is gone and the day is late; you are still busy in pursuit of people.

(403) Go on catching one and releasing another from the trap and pursuing another, like mean folk;

(404) Then again release this one and seek the other ! Here’s a game of heedless children !

(411) Love is saying very softly into my ear, “To be a prey is better than to be a hunter.

(412) Make yourself My fool and be a dupe: renounce the estate of the sun, become a speck !

(413) Become a dweller at My door and be homeless: do not pretend to be a candle, be a moth,

(414) That you may taste the savour of Life and contemplate the sovereignty hidden in servitude.”

(454) Excellently well said the complaisant Prophet, “A mote of intelligence is better for you than fasting and performing the ritual prayer,”

(470) Contrive that you may be delivered from your own contrivance; contrive that you may become detached from the body.

(471) Contrive that you may become the meanest slave: if you enter into meanness, you will become lordly.

(473) But rush into the fire like a moth: do not hoard up that, play for love !

(474) Renounce power and adopt piteous supplication: mercy comes towards piteous supplication, O dervish.

(476) The weeping of Joseph’s brethren is a trick, for their hearts are full of envy and infirmity.

Story of the Arab of the desert whose dog was dying of hunger, while his wallet was full of bread; he was lamenting over the dog and reciting poetry and sobbing and beating his head and face; and yet he grudged the dog a morsel from his wallet.

(477) The dog was dying, and the Arab sobbing, shedding tears, and crying, “Oh, sorrow !”

(478) A beggar passed by and asked, “What is this sobbing ? For whom are you mourning and lamenting ?”

(479) He replied, “There was in my possession a dog of excellent disposition. Look, he is dying on the road.

(480) He hunted for me by day and kept watch by night; keen-eyed and catching the prey and driving off thieves”

(481) He asked, “What ails him ? Has he been wounded ?” The Arab replied, “Ravenous hunger has made him lamentable.”

(482) "Show some patience,” said he, “in this pain and anguish: the grace of God bestows a recompense on those who are patient.”

(483) Afterwards he said to him, “O noble chief, what is this full wallet in your hand ?”

(484) He replied, “My bread and provender and food left over from last night, I am taking along to nourish my body.”

(485) “Why don’t you give bread and food to the dog ?” he asked. He replied, “I have not love and liberality to this extent.

(486) Bread cannot be obtained on the road without money, but water from the eyes costs nothing.”

(487) He said, “Earth be on your head, O water-skin full of wind ! For in your opinion a crust of bread is better than tears.”

(488) Tears are blood and have been turned by grief into water: idle tears have not the value of earth.

(489) He made the whole of himself despicable, like Iblís: a piece of this whole is naught but vile.

(490) I am the slave of him who will not sell his existence save to that bounteous and munificent Sovereign,

(491) When he weeps, heaven begins to weep, and when he moans, the celestial sphere begins to cry, “O Lord !”

(492) I am the slave of that high-aspiring copper which humbles itself to naught but the Elixir.

(493) Lift up in prayer a broken hand: the loving kindness of God flies towards the broken.

(494) If you have need of deliverance from this narrow dungeon, O brother, go without delay on the fire.

(495) Regard God’s contrivance and abandon your own contrivance: oh, by His contrivance the contrivance of contrivers is put to shame.

(496) When your contrivance is negated in the contrivance of the Lord, you will open a most marvellous hiding-place,

(498) Do not regard your peacock-feathers but regard your feet, in order that the mischief of the eye may not waylay you;

(499) For a mountain slips at the eye of the wicked: read and mark in the Qur’an they cause you to stumble.

(500) From looking, Ahmad, like a mountain, slipped in the middle of the road, without mud and without rain.

(501) He remained in astonishment, saying, “Why this slipping? I do not think that this occurrence is empty,”

(502) Until the Verse came and made him aware that this had happened to him in consequence of the evil eye and enmity.

(503) "Had it been anyone except you, he would at once have been annihilated: he would have become the prey of the eye and in thrall to destruction;

(504) But there came a protection, sweeping along, and your slipping was for a sign.”

(505) Take a warning, look on that mountain, and do not expose your leaf, O you who are less than a straw.

(517) The greed of the duck is single, this is fiftyfold: the greed of lust is a snake, while this eminence is a dragon.

(518) The duck’s greed arises from the appetite of the stomach and genitals; twenty times as much greed is included in ruling.

(519) He in power pretends to Divinity: how should one ambitious of co-partnership be saved ?

(520) The sin of Adam arose from the belly and sexual intercourse, and that of Iblís from pride and power.

(521) Consequently he at once besought pardon, while the accursed disdained to repent.

Explaining that the purity and simplicity of the tranquil soul are disturbed by thoughts, just as you write or depict anything on the surface of a mirror, though you may obliterate it entirely, a mark and blemish will remain.

(557) The face of the tranquil soul in the body suffers wounds inflicted by the nails of thought.

(558) Know that evil thought is a poisonous nail: in deep reflection it rends the face of the soul.

(559) In order that he may untie the knot of a difficulty, he has put a golden spade into ordure.

(560) Suppose the knot is loosed, O adept: it is a tight knot on an empty purse.

(561) You have grown old in loosing knots: suppose a few more knots are loosed.

(562) The knot that is tight on our throat is that you should know whether you are vile or fortunate.

(563) Solve this problem, if you are a man: spend your breath on this, if you have the breath of Adam.

(564) Suppose you know the definitions of substances and accidents, know the definition of yourself, for this is indispensable.

(565) When you know the definition of yourself, flee from this definition that you may attain to Him who has no definition O sifter of dust.

(571) If to him the smoke is a proof of the fire, to us it is sweet in the fire without the smoke,

(572) Especially this Fire which, through nearness and fealty, is nearer to us than the smoke.

(573) Therefore it is black villainy to go from the Soul towards the smoke for the sake of the phantasies of the soul.

Explaining that God is the reward bestowed by Him for the work of the lover.

(586) For lovers He is joy and sorrow; He is their wages and hire for service.

(587) If there be any spectacle except the Beloved, it is not love: it is an idle passion.

(588) Love is that flame which, when it blazes up, consumes everything else but the Beloved.

(589) He drives home the sword of Not in order to kill all other than God: thereupon consider what remains after Not.

(590) There remains except God: all the rest is gone. Hail, O mighty Love, destroyer of polytheism !

(591) Truly, He is the First and the Last: do not regard polytheism as arising from aught except the eye that sees double.

(592) Oh, wonderful! Is there any beauty but from the reflection of Him? The body has no movement but from the spirit.

(593) The body that has defect in its spirit will never become sweet, if you smear it with honey.

(594) This he knows who one day was alive and received a cup from this Soul of the soul;

Description of the selfless ones who have become safe from their own vices and virtues; for they are negated in the everlastingness of God, like stars which are negated in the Sun during the daytime; and he who is negated has no fear of ruin and danger.

(672) When, through poverty, fana graces him, he becomes without shadow like Mohammed.

(673) Fana graced, ‘Poverty is my pride’: he became without shadow like the flame of a candle.

(674) The candle has become entirely flame from head to foot; the shadow has no passage around it.

(675) The wax (candle) fled from itself and from the shadow into the radiance for the sake of Him who moulded the candle.

(676) He said, ‘I moulded you for the sake of fana.’ It replied, ‘I accordingly took refuge in fana.’

(677) This is the necessary everlasting radiance, not the radiance of the perishable accidental candle.

The reason why Khalíl, on whom be peace, killed the crow, indicating the subjugation of certain blameworthy and pernicious qualities in the disciple.

(765) There is no end and completion to this discourse. O Friend of God, why didst you kill the crow ?

(766) Because of the command. What was the wisdom of the command? A small part of the mysteries thereof must be shown.

(767) The cawing and noisy cry of the black crow is ever asking for life in this world.

(768) Like Iblís, it besought the holy and incomparable God for bodily life till the Resurrection.

(769) He said, “Grant me a respite till the Day of Retribution.” Would that he had said, “We repent, O our Lord.”

(770) Life without repentance is all agony of spirit: to be absent from God is present death.

(771) Life and death—both these are sweet with God: without God the Water of Life is fire.

(772) Moreover, it was from the effect of the curse that in such a Presence he was requesting life.

(773) To crave of God anything other than God is the supposition of gain, and it is entire loss;

(774) Especially a life sunk in estrangement is to behave like a fox in the presence of the lion,

(778) "Give me more life that I may be ever eating shit: give me this always, for I am very evil-natured.”

(779) Were it not that that foul-mouthed one is a shit-eater, he would say, “Deliver me from the nature of the crow!”

Ya Ali Madad