The Beloved says, "The broken ones are My darlings." So, Be like the sun, have nothing but warmth and light...

Abul-Khayr's poetry

If you do not give up the crowds
you won't find your way to Oneness.
If you do not drop your self
you won't find your true worth.
If you do not offer all you
have to the Beloved,
you will live this life free of that
sweet pain which makes it worth living.
~

If you are seeking closeness to the Beloved,
love everyone.
Whether in their presence or absence,
see only their good.
If you want to be as clear and refreshing as
the breath of the morning breeze,
like the sun, have nothing but warmth and light
for everyone.
~

A Mine of Rubies~Rumi

 



 Last night I learned how to be a lover of God,
 To live in this world and call nothing my own.

 I looked inward
 and the beauty of my own emptiness
 filled me till dawn.
 It enveloped me like a mine of rubies.
 Its hue clothed me in red silk.

 Within the cavern of my soul
 I heard a voice of a lover crying,
 "Drink now! Drink now!" --

 I took a sip and saw the vast ocean --
 Wave upon wave caressed my soul.
 The lovers of God dance around
 And the circle of their steps
 becomes a ring of fire round my neck.

 Heaven calls me with its rain and thunder --
 a hundred thousand cries
 yet I cannot hear ...

 All I hear is the call of my Beloved.

        ~Maulana Rumi 

The path of Love

“The essence of God is love and the Sufi Path is the Path of Love. Love is to see what is good and beautiful in everything. It is to learn from everything, to see the gifts of God and the generosity of God in everything. It is to be thankful for all of God’s bounties. This is the first step on the road to the love of God. This is just a seed of love. In time, the seed will grow and become a tree and bear fruit. Then, whoever tastes of that fruit will know what real love is. It will be different for those who have tasted to tell of it to those who have not. When you find love, you will find yourself. When you have the knowledge of love, you will then feel peace in your heart. Stop searching here and there, the Jewels are inside you. This, my friends, is the holy meaning of love.” ~ Sufi Teachings of Rumi”

an amazing anecdote

There is a story which Sayyidina Jalaluddin Rumi tells of an ant that’s creeping across the carpet in a mosque, and the ant complains to God saying: “what is this, these bumps, and strange colours, and patterns, this must have been created just as a meaningless obstacle course, what a futile thing to have made.” But of course the carpet maker, looking at it from above can see the patterns and the purpose of it, and can see that the whole thing is perfect and is good. And Allah is often like that. We often can’t make sense of the misfortunes because we are two dimensional, we are at ground level, we can’t see what it all means, but the khalifa of Allah subhanahu wa’tala knows even if he can’t always see that this is a manifestation of Allah’s will which is always good and always perfect and always beautiful. ~ Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad

al-Ghazali on reading the Quran

The respected Persian Islamic scholar, al-Ghazali (1058-1111, born and died in Iran), wrote a prominent book series called the Revival of Religious Sciences (Ihya'a 'ulum al-din). In the book, al-Ghazali integrates the principles of Sufi into the Islamic teachings and Shari'a. In one of this series' books, he talks about the etiquette for reading the Quran. Here's an extra brief point summary based on the book(provided by Sunni Path) :

1. One should understand the magnificent nature of the Qur'an. This is a divine gift from Allah, and a tremendous favor. One should bring to mind the favor of Allah and be thankful.
2. Magnification of the Speaker. Bring to mind the magnification of the One who is addressing us. The reciter will then remain conscious of the fact that this Book is the speech of Allah. So when one recites, it is not like reading any book, rather the very speech of Allah. Allah is speaking to the reciter through his recitation.

“The heart in which love and compassion for all living beings resides, can have no room for seeking after personal pleasures.”

"A fakir once set out on a long journey, carrying with him a bundle filled with bread to eat on the way. At the end of the first day on the road he came to a small mosque, and there he rested for the night. Resuming his journey early the next morning, he walked at a brisk pace for about ten miles and then decided to have a bite to eat. But when he opened his bundle, he found that his bread was full of ants. “Ah, that is too bad,” he thought. “For I have taken these poor ants a long way away from their home in that mosque. How they must be longing to see their parents, children and friends." Filled with solicitude for the welfare of the ants, the fakir retraced his steps and took the ants back to their home in the little mosque. “The heart in which love and compassion for all living beings resides, can have no room for seeking after personal pleasures.” ~taken from the tales of the Mystic East, 1977, page 135

Beautiful Qasida by Imam al-Haddad (May Allah be pleased with him)

My Lord’s knowledge has sufficed me
from asking or choosing

For my du’a and my agonising supplication
is a witness to my poverty.

For this secret (reason) I make supplication
in times of ease and times of difficulty

I am a slave whose pride
is in his poverty and obligation

O my Lord and my King
You know my state

And what has settled in my heart
of agonies and preoccupations

Save me with a gentleness
from You, O Lord of Lords

Oh save me, Most Generous
before I run out of patience (with myself)

My Lord’s knowledge has sufficed me
from asking or choosing

O One who is swift in sending aid
I ask for aid that will arrive to me swiftly

It will defeat all difficulty
and it will bring all that I hope for

O Near One Who answers
and All-Knowing and All-Hearing

I have attained realisation through my incapacity,
my submission and my brokenness

My Lord’s knowledge has sufficed me
from asking or choosing

I am still standing by the door, so please my Lord
have mercy on my standing

And in the valley of generosity, I am in i’tikaf (solitary retreat)
So, Allah, make my retreat here permanent

And I’m abiding by good opinion (of You)
For it is my friend and ally

And it is the one that sits by me and keeps me company
All day and night

My Lord’s knowledge has sufficed me
from asking or choosing

There is a need in my soul, O Allah
so please fulfil it, O Best of Fulfillers

And comfort my secret and my heart
from its burning and its shrapnel

In pleasure and in happiness
and as long as You are pleased with me

For joy and expansion is my state
and my motto and my cover

My Lord’s knowledge has sufficed me
from asking or choosing