“You have no idea how hard I’ve looked for a gift to bring You. Nothing seemed right. What’s the point of bringing gold to the gold mine, or water to the Ocean. Everything I came up with was like taking spices to the Orient. It’s no good giving my heart and my soul because You already have these. So, I have brought You a mirror. Look at Yourself and remember me.”
- Rumi
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Salaam Dear Aishah:
What gift is worthy of Allah? He is beyond the need for all created things, since he is the Creator of all things.
The Sufi path is nothing more than to polish the mirror of the heart, so the rust of the nafs is slowly cleansed, and when the mirror is clean, it reflects nothing but Allah. This is the only worthy gift for Allah. It is the surrendering of all that you are, so there is nothing left but Hu.
Salaams Irving,
Ma sha Allah! Rumi always seems to say exactly the right thing!
Yes, it is like taking spices to the orient.
Ya Allah!
Salaams again,
Mathnawi I.2980:
‘If you’re irritated by every rub,
How will your mirror be polished?’
my most favorite poem of rumi.
when i come at the end of the poem, it always reminds me of the famous verse of Quran,
where God gives the most beautiful promise to mankind: “Remember ME and I will remember you”
so good to see it here again!!
hey guys-
Just found a great website that sells some amazing Islamic books-rather unusual.U must check it out.I believe they will be selling lots of Islamic childrens books too.
http://www.tubatree.com
Saniya.
Salaam Dear Friends:
You are most welcome Aishah, and thank you for the comments Abdur Rahman and Mystic Saint, and for your own wonderful blogs :) And thank you Shifa for the Islamic book site.
Ya Haqq!
There are only two things I know I can give to the Giver, that can even slighlty begin to compare to the giving done for me: that I have focusing on giving, and that I am willing to appreciate, or grow in value, that which was given to me.
This is not an intellectual statement. I mean this in practical terms. The best way to do this is by personalizing it, and I personalize it by using my teacher or sensei as the model. Because when I look around in my life for the greatest light I can see, I see my teacher. So he becomes the direction and focus point of my giving.
By direction, it doesn’t mean that I am directing my giving toward my teacher, because why bring water to the ocean, yes? Yet, I am directing toward my teacher, because my teacher represents the Source and the model. Yes, in a sense whoever I give to represents the Source, whether they know it or not. But that’s a little too abstract to be practical.
My teacher’s giving is the baseline of my own giving. What he has given to me has been planted. How fertile is the ground inside of me for those seeds, for that investment? To be truly fertile, I have to grow or appreciate – build into an even greater value – that which was given to me. I have to grow the investment. That is my best way to give back.
Welcome Mark:
What you say it perfectly true from a Sufi point of view also. the Master is a guide or teacher, and his ability to guide depends on the qualities he has to teach his students, his darvishes.
Ya Haqq! (the Truth)
I absolutely love this one by Rumi. Truly beautiful Means so much.
Just read this. Brought me to tears. SubhanAllah!