Mulla Nasruddin used to purchase shoes which were too tight for him, one size too small. He was continually complaining and grumbling to everybody, “I will die with these shoes!” People said, “Why don’t you change them?” When he came the next time to the shoe store to change them, […]
Listen, open a window to God and begin to delight yourself by gazing upon Him through the opening. The business of love is to make the window of the heart, for the breast is illumined by the beauty of the Beloved. Gaze incessantly on the face of your Beloved! Listen, […]
Once there was a city, the inhabitants of which were all blind. They had heard of elephants and were curious to see [sic] one face to face. They were still full of this desire when one day a caravan arrived and camped outside the city. There was an elephant in […]
Allah loves the brokenhearted. You are coveting a little water in a clay jug, but when you break it that water rejoins the lake from whence it came. Our egos try to prevent that reunion, and always object to any suggestion of the need to seek reunion. The main purpose […]
Al-‘Alim The All-Knowing Exalted and Glorious And He is the All-Knowing of everything. (2:29) Allah is the All-Hearer, All-Knower. (3:34) Whatever good you spend, Allah knows it well. (3:92) And whatever good they do, nothing will be rejected of them; for Allah knows well those who are pious. (3:115) Thus […]
It is not easy to explain free will. Let’s say that it is like sitting in the train having the choice to enjoy the journey or to suffer. We can travel forgetting our destination or instead take care of the people sitting in our compartment, to quarrel a little with everyone and complain […]
The Mullah’s wife sent him to buy some bread. When the Mullah arrived at the bread shop he saw a long line waiting to buy bread. He thought he would do something to get in front of the line. He shouted, “People, don’t you know the Sultan’s daughter is getting […]
Collect your mind’s fragments that you may fill yourself bit by bit with meaning. The one disciple who meditates the mysteries of creation for sixty minutes gains more merit than from sixty years of fasting and prayer. Meditation: high-soaring hawk of the intellect’s wrist resting at last on the flowering […]
There was once a man who had come to kill without remorse ninety-nine people. But one day he suddenly felt something in heart, a touch, and decided to put an end to the unhealthy spiral. He went to the neighbor and asked him, “Tell me, you who know my story, is there any […]
Steadfastness is the quality that will aid our progress, even if that progress be slow. Be steadfast and you may reach your goal; and even if you don’t, your Lord perceives your sin- cere intention and may convey you towards your goal, just when you have despaired. Our Grandsheikh said […]
Al-Fattah The Opener Exalted and Glorious Our Lord! Reveal (open) the truth between us and our people, and You are the Best of those who give judgment. (7:89) He will decide between us with the truth. And He is the Opener (of the truth), the All-Knower of the true state of […]
How much of what we do is determined by fate, and how much of our own free will? What is written is written, but we can not see it. So we think we have a free will. In relative terms, we are free: God gave us His will and we can […]
A man who went into a shop and asked the shopkeeper, “Do you have leather?” “Yes,” said the shopkeeper. “Nails?” “Yes.” “Thread?” “Yes.” “Needle?” “Yes” “Then why don’t you make yourself a pair of boots?”
A great Shaykh from North India, Khwaja Chisti Muhoinuddin (1141-1230) (his secret be sanctified), one day received a letter by the Maharaja of the place, saying that he had heard about him, that he was curious to meet him, and that the next day he would expected him at the palace. The Shaykh in response begged the messenger to report to the his […]
Millions of people are sleeping but never awakening. The biggest warner for Mankind is death. Therefore, take your advice from death. Everyone must prepare for that day, to leave his shadow body. Try to understand the holy words of the Seal of Prophets. He was praying and saying: “O my Lord, […]
Ar-Razzaq The Provider Exalted and Glorious Verily, Allah is the All-Provider. (51:58) This name is an attribute of Allah. All actions that lead to support are under the direction of the Real King, the Lord and Creator of all creation, and at His will and pleasure. As a sign of […]
It is not easy to answer to the question ‘what is Sufism’. It is like being asked to answer to the question ‘what is love’ or ‘what is life’. Words are limited while Sufism attains to the essence of life itself. Sufism describes a person who is in love with […]
People ran to tell the Mullah that his mother-in-law had fallen into the river. “She will be swept out to sea, for the torrent is very fast here,” they cried. Without a moment’s hesitation Nasrudin dived into the river and started to swim upstream. “No!” they cried, “DOWNSTREAM! That is […]