Nasrudin the smuggler was leading a donkey that had bundles of straw on its back. An experienced border inspector spotted Nasrudin coming to his border.
“Halt,” the inspector said. “What is your business here?”
“I am an honest smuggler!” replied Nasrudin.
“Oh, really?” said the inspector. “Well, let me search those straw bundles. If I find something in them, then you are required to pay a border fee!”
“Do as you wish, “Nasrudin replied, “but you will not find anything in those bundles.”
The inspector intensively searched and took apart the bundles, but could not find a single thing in them. He turned to Nasrudin and said, “You have managed to get one by me today. You may pass the border.”
Nasrudin crossed the border with his donkey while the annoyed inspector looked on. And then the very next day, Nasrudin once again came to the border with a straw-carrying donkey. The inspector saw Nasrudin coming and thought, “I’ll get him for sure this time.”
He checked the bundles of straw again, and then searched through Nasrudin’s clothing, and even went through the donkey’s harness. But once again he came up empty handed and had to let Nasrudin pass.
This same pattern continued every day for several years, and every day Nasrudin wore more and more extravagant clothing and jewelry that indicated he was getting wealthier. Eventually, the inspector retired from his longtime job, but even in retirement he still wondered about the man with the straw-carrying donkey.
“I should have checked that donkey’s mouth more extensively,” he thought to himself. “Or maybe he hid something in the donkey’s rectum.”
Then one day he spotted Nasrudin’s face in a crowd. “Hey,” the inspector said, “I know you! You are that man who came to my border everyday for all those years with a straw-carrying donkey. Please, sir, I must talk to you.”
Nasrudin came towards him and the inspector continued talking. “My friend, I always wondered what you were smuggling past my border everyday. Just between you and me, you must tell me. I must know. What in the world were you smuggling for all those years? I must know!”
Nasrudin simply replied, “donkeys.”
izlam
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"Everyone asks for firmness in faith, but few for firmness in love.
They ask for faith and are ashamed of love, such arrogant hearts!
Faith has no idea of the place where love transports you.
I swear by my faith, Bahu, keep my love firm!"
From Death Before Dying
Dii
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What makes people be so afraid to say "I love you" Does love itself create a certain fear, that becomes bigger at the same time that love becomes bigger as well?
How can we humans be so mistaken, so blind in front of Love?
It's like the tree that lets a fruit grow with an incredible beauty. More than the other fruits in that tree, and yet the fruit cannot say for sure all its beauty comes from itself, it must come from the tree, the tree gives to the fruit its sap, and the fruit is happy but then is happier until it feels a strong love for the tree. But... Was the tree aware of all he was giving to the fruit? or was it on purpose? or was just unaware? So the fruit doesn't know what to think and the love it feels for the tree maybe is only his, and the doubts don't let it think, while the tree is afraid to tell the fruit his love. And life goes on until the fruit falls down the tree and is taken away by a child to his home. And never again the tree and the fruit will talk, no conversations anymore, and they will never know what the other felt. Love was so deep that it looked like an abyss. Fear took the place of love instead.
dile
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| An elderly lady who was conscientious and sincere in her faith one day met a wandering Dervish – she paid him respect and invited him to partake of some food. Though hunger was well under his control the Dervish was pleased with her demonstration of respect which was not showy or superstitious, but derived from a sincere heart. He therefore accepted. At the end of the repast he asked her if there was anything he could do to repay her generosity. She refused anything saying she was more than content with the blessings she had. But Dervishes are not such that they judge from outward expression and he detected in her heart a knot of anxiety. He pressed her gently and almost against her will she found herself telling of a problem she had with her son to which she had not been able to find a solution. ‘My son is a good hearted and quite intelligent person’ she said, close to tears, ‘but he is leading a dissolute life taking wine and the company of loose women and gambling. I have talked to him but he has taken it into his head that when he has sown his wild oats and had his fill of the pleasures of this world, then he will turn to sincere repentance, and he believes that his sins will be forgiven and turned to goodness. He even quotes scripture to support his case. I cannot persuade him of his foolishness even though he holds me in respect and tries to hide his philandering from me’. The Dervish pondered a moment and in warm and reassuring tones said, ‘On account of your good nature and the saving grace that your son continues to respect you I will see what can be done to help his case’. I am making a camp by the stream yonder – when your son returns, send him to me to bring me some tea leaves – and now do not worry any more’. The good woman smiled radiantly as she felt the knot of anxiety evaporate in the sun of that saintly man’s look In due time the son returned home, still warm from the embraces of a sweetheart and a little drunk. His mother asked him to take the gift of tea leaves to the old man he would find at the nearby stream. He complied and soon arrived at the place where the dervish was sitting. That venerable man had lit a fire, and, suspended on some sticks, he had hung a metal pot in which water was nearly boiling. The young man paused to watch the behaviour of the Dervish – as soon as the water was on the point of boiling the dervish would pour some of the water on to the fire – which hissed and crackled, in the way of fire meeting its old enemy water, and then died down. The dervish then allowed the fire to continue until the water began to heat again. He then repeated the behaviour and the fire died down even further. He repeated this several times. The young man coughed and the dervish turned his head. ‘Ah!’ he said feigning surprise, ‘you have brought the tea leaves – good! Sit down and we will have a drink of tea a soon as the water is boiled’. The young man sat down and the dervish again repeated the same behaviour – this time the fire was nearly extinguished totally and only a small flame remained. ‘Sir! ‘said the young man, ‘this behaviour is very strange, and if it was not for your grey hair I would call it foolish. How will you make the water boil when you keep putting the fire out with the water – if you are not careful you will put it out altogether and then how will you relight it or make your tea, you will have neither water nor fire. Even if you do not put it out altogether how will you ever make the water boil by this method’. The mystic looked intently at the young man for a moment. ‘You regard this behaviour as foolish’ he said sharply, ‘yet how is it that you keep putting out the fire of repentance with the water of your lust for the pleasures of this world. Know that repentance is a fierce fire that can cook a man’s soul till God gives him Mercy – but if you keep putting out that fire you will not receive the cooking that is required – then how will the Mercy descend. Indeed if you persist too far the potential for that fire to remain alight at all may one day disappear altogether’. As he spoke the small remaining flames of the fire spluttered and died. The young man was aghast and sought for the match box nearby which proved to be empty. The realisation of the foolishness of his behaviour flooded through him, root and branch, and he cast himself at the feet of that wise man and vowed to reform his life which now appeared to him as hollow and useless as the trunk of a dead tree. He begged to become his humble disciple from thereon in. The mystic smiled and accepted the youth’s heartfelt request. ‘Very good’ he said, ‘then let us now have our tea’. ‘But how is this possible, the fire is out and the matches are gone’ spluttered the youth. ‘Do not ask the Sheykh how’, the master said, and smiled as the flame appeared to rekindle itself and began to dance merrily until the steam from the water began to ascend heavenward. ‘Know’, he said quietly as he put the tea leaves into the pot, ‘that the master is not subject to the metaphors he uses, but until you attain that mastery do not cease to learn from every thing you see and hear – regard all as the signs of God’. | ||||||
Laillah
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candle
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They say eye is the mirror of the soul.
You see the innocence, don't you?
This very innocence was inside you also.
With time you confuse your innocence, but they are never lost.
Return to your innocence and rediscover the beauty inside you again.
Behold, inside you lies the whole mystery of the Universe
In Baghdad in the twelfth century there lived a pious saint who was the most famous in the whole Islamic world and all the other saints accepted him as their spiritual leader and bowed down their necks before his feet. His name was Shaykh ‘Abd al Qadir al Jilani and he was known as the Ghawth al Azam (the Greatest Helper) and the Qutb al Aqtâb (‘the Pole of the spiritual Poles’ i.e. he who is at the apex of the spiritual hierarchy of saints).
One night, a notorious thief entered the house of Shaykh Abd al Qadir Jilani and tried to steal something. However, the Shaykh’s servant was awake and captured the man. The thief was terrified of what would become of him for trying to rob the house of such a pious and respected saint of Allah and asked for forgiveness. The servant was very cross and held him tightly. Presently, hearing the commotion, the Shaykh –who was in his little room engaged in his nightly vigils and worship—came to the scene and asked what was the matter. The servant explained what had happened and the Shaykh approached the thief and said, “Young man! You have come to the house of ‘Abd al Qadir al Jilani to steal something. Yet, if you go away with nothing people will think that you returned from my house empty-handed! I am from that family which never sends away anybody empty-handed! I am from the family of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and his family and give him peace!) It has been revealed to me by inspiration by Allah that one of the Poles (qutb) has just passed away tonight. Go! I make you into a Pole so that you may replace him who has passed away!”
Thus the thief entered the house of the Shaykh a robber and a criminal and left as one of the chief saints! Know from this the closeness of the Sultan of the Shaykhs to Allah and the power he has been granted to help!
mazar
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An emperor decided to hang all liars who would enter into his city. So he put two guards at the gates of the city and ordered to his guards to ask all new comers the reason of their visit. If they dare to lie they would be hanged. So this one time, Nasrudin was among the new comers. The guards asked him the purpose of his visit. He answered that he came to be hanged! The guards said: "This is impossible, you are lying!" Nasrudin said; "Well if I am lying, hang me!". Guards: "But if we hang you what you said would become the truth!" ; Nasrudin: "well, now you know what is the Truth, it is always YOUR truth!"
Haqani
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One day an emperor decided to kill all his philosophers and wise men around him if they don't show him God. So Nasrudin who was passing by the city where the emperor lived and having heard the emperor's request decided to go and see him. He said to the emperor if you want to see God come out of the castle and follow me. That's what emperor did. Then Nasrudin asked the emperor to look at the sky pointing with his finger towards the sun. That's what emperor did, but suddenly bowed his head down and started to shout: "are you crazy, you want me to become blind, my eyes are burnt by the sun?" And Nasrudin answered: "How do you expect to see God, if your eyes are even not capable to watch the simple sun which is one of God's creations
alakb
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A powerful king, ruler of many domains, was in a position of such magnificence that wise men were his mere employees. And yet one day he felt himself confused and called the sages to him.
Said “I do not know the cause, but something impels me to seek a certain ring, one that will enable me to stabilize my state.
“I must have such a ring. And this ring must be one which, when I am unhappy, will make me joyful. At the same time, if I am happy and look upon it, I must be made sad.”
The wise men consulted one another, and threw themselves into deep contemplation, and finally they came to a decision as to the character of this ring which would suit their king.
The ring which they devised was one upon which was inscribed the legend:
This, too, will pass.
GLOBE
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If you want the door of hope be opened for you,
then consider what comes to you from your Lord,
but if you want the door of sadness be opened for you,
then consider what goes to Him from you.
doorz
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A man rose up where Jonaid (Jonaid al-Baghdadi) was preaching and began to beg.
"This man is perfectly healthy,'' thought Jonaid. "He can earn his living. Why does he beg, and impose on himself this humiliation?"
That night Jonaid dreamed that a covered dish was set before him.
"Eat," he was bidden.
When he lifted the lid, he saw the man who had begged lying dead on the dish.
"I do not eat the flesh of men," he protested.
"Then why did you do so in mosque yesterday?" he was asked.
Jonaid realize that he had been guilty of slander in his heart, and that he was being taken to task for an evil thought.
"I woke in terror," Jonaid recollected. "I purified myself and said two rak'as, then I went out to search for the beggar. I saw him on the bank of the Tigris, picking out of the water scraps of vegetables people had washed there and eating them. Raising his head, he saw me approaching and addressed me.
"Jonaid," he said, "have you repented of the thoughts concerning me?"
"I have," I replied.
"Then go. It is He who accepts repentance from His servants. This time keep a watch over your thoughts."
bim
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The Hodja (teacher) was selling olives at the market and business was slow. He called to a woman who was passing by and tried to entice her. She shook her head and told him she didn't have any money with her.
"No problem," the Hodja grinned. "You can pay me later." She still looked hesitant, so he offered her one to taste.
"Oh no, I can't, I'm fasting," she responded.
"Fasting? But Ramadan was 6 months ago!"
"Yes, well, I missed a day and I'm making it up now. Go ahead and give me a kilo of the black olives."
"Forget it!" shouted the Hodja. "If it took you 6 months to pay back a debt you owed ALLAH, who knows when you'll get around to paying me!"
star22
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The heart left,
and the Friend is (also) gone.
I don't know whether I should go after the Friend
or after the heart!
A voice spoke to me:
"Go in pursuit of the Friend,
because the lover needs a heart
in order to find union with the Friend.
If there was no Friend,
what would (the lover) do with (his) heart?"
pnkros
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and discarded all other things of knowledge.
"The first is this: I know that my daily bread is apportioned
to me and will neither be increased or decreased, so I have stopped
trying to add to it.
"Secondly, I know I owe to God a debt which no one else can
pay for me, so I am busy about paying it.
"Thirdly, I know that there is someone pursuing me ---
Death --- whom I cannot escape from, so I have prepared myself
to meet him.
"Fourth, I know that God is observing me, so I am ashamed
to do what I should not."
bismibird
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