340 quotes
He saith ‘These saints are My children
Though remote and alone and away from their Lord.
For their trial they are orphans and wretched
Yet in love I am ever holding communion with them.
Thou art backed by all My protection,
My children are as it were parts of Me.
Attributed A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)
We’ve done with outer warfare, lesser as it is,
And as the Prophet, wage the greater warfare, his;
We put our trust in God, from Him we ask for aid,
With His assistance faith can move a mountain staid.
Attributed A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)
'Tis marvellous by what way thou wentest from the world
Thou didst strongly shake thy wings and feathers and having broken thy cage
Didst ae to the air and journey towards the world of soul.
Thou wert a favourite falcon kept in captivity by an old woman
When thou heard’st the falcon-drum, thou didst fly away into the void.
Attributed A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)
Such grace and beauty and loveliness and bestowal of life,
O misery and error, if anyone dispense with Him!
Fly, fly O bird, to thy native home,
For thou hast escaped from the cage, and thy pinions are outspread.
Travel away from the bitter stream towards the water of life,
Return from the vestibule to the high seat of the soul.
Attributed A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)
Human reason is drowned like the high mountains
In the flood of illusion and vain imaginations.
The very mountains are overwhelmed by this flood,
Where is safety to be found save in Noah's ark?
By illusions that plunder the road of faith
The faithful have been split into seventy-two sects;
But the man of conviction escapes illusion,
He does not mistake his eye-brow for the new moon.
Attributed A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)
He speaks to the rose’s ear and causes it to bloom,
(He speaks to the stone and it becomes a jewel of the mine),
He speaks a spell to body and it becomes soul,
He speaks to the sun and it becomes a fount of light
Again in its ear He whispers a word of power
And its face is darkened as by a hundred eclipses.
Attributed A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)
All the four elements are seething in this cauldron (the world)
None is at rest, neither earth nor fire nor water nor air
Now earth takes the form of grass on account of desire
Now water becomes air for the sake of this affinity,
By way of unity water becomes fire
Fire also becomes air in this expanse by reason of love.
Attributed A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)
Infidels when enjoying prosperity do wrong
When they are in hell, they cry ‘O our Lord!’
The prison is the hermitage of the wicked thief
For when he is there, he is ever crying to God.
Whereas the object of man’s being is to worship God,
Hell is ordained as a place of worship for the proud.
Attributed A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)
Read ‘I was a hidden treasure and desired to be known;’
Hide not the hidden treasure but disclose it;
Your true treasure is hidden under a false one,
Just as butter is hidden within the substance of milk,
The false one is this transitory body of yours,
The true one your divine soul.
Long time this milk is exposed to view
And the soul’s butter is hidden and of no account.
Attributed A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)
Victory falls to the believers at last,
The hypocrites have death in the next world.
Although both parties are engaged in one game,
Yet, as regards one another, they are inhabitants of Merv and Rai (i.e., far asunder),
Each goes to his own place,
Each fares according to his name.
Attributed A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)
Seek ye a purchaser who will pay you gold,
Where will you find one more liberal than God?
He buys the worthless rubbish which is your wealth,
He pays you the light that illumines your heart,
He accepts these frozen and lifeless bodies of yours
And gives you a kingdom beyond what you dream of,
He takes a few drops of your tears
And gives you the divine fount sweeter than sugar.
Attributed A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)
When words deceitful are employed as wraps for guile,
They’re bubbles on the water, only last awhile,
Such words are merely shell; the intent their kernel is,
Or coloured portraiture of man; no life is his,
A shell may often cover kernel of foul smell,
A kernel sound can well afford to lose its shell.
Attributed A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)
Whoever may put off to sow seed in spring
Ignores the true value of time’s swiftest wing,
Let each one take refuge in mercy of God
Who grace manifold on our souls has bestowed,
Then shalt thou find shelter, when shelter thou needest,
Fire’s, water’s protection thou’lt have as thou heedest.
Attributed A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)
Thorn-eating camel truly is this world of ours,
Ahmed then came and mounted; him that camel bears.
O camel, on thy back thou bear’st a vase of rose,
On thee from thence have sprouted rose-buds as God knows,
Thy tastes lead thee to camel-thorn and wastes of sand,
To thee the thorn’s a rose; the wilderness, rich land.
Attributed A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)
O Ali! out of all forms of religious service
Choose thou the shadow of that dear friend of God!
Do thou seek refuge in the shadow of the wise man
That thou mayest escape thy fierce secret foes,
Of all forms of service this is fittest for thee
Thou shalt surpass all who were before thee.
Attributed A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)
From thy good thoughts are born the boys of Paradise and the houris,
From thy evil thoughts is born the great demon (Iblis),
See how the secret thought of the geometrician has become a castle or a palace,
See how the hidden Providence without beginning has become this mighty universe.
Attributed A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)
Come, and think of Me, Who gave you the faculty of thought,
Since from my mine you may purchase an ass-load of rubies;
Come, advance towards Him Who gave you a foot,
Look with all your eyes upon Him Who gave you an eye.
Attributed A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)
He said ‘Who is at the door?’ Said I ‘Thy humble servant.’
He said ‘What business have you?’ Said I ‘Lord, to greet thee.’
He said ‘How long will you push?’ Said I ‘Till thou call.’
He said ‘How long will you glow?’ Said I ‘Till resurrection.’
Attributed A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)
Look to your hearts! I whatever betide, O Moslems,
Am so mingled with Him, that no heart is mingled with me,
I was born of His love at the first, I gave Him my love at the last,
When the fruit springs from the bough, on that bough it hangs.
Attributed A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)
Whereas the springhead is undying, its branch gives water continually;
Since neither can cease, why are you lamenting?
Conceive the Soul as a fountain and these created things as rivers;
While the fountain flows, the rivers run from it
Put grief out of your head, and keep quaffing this river water,
Do not think of the water failing; for this water is without end.
Attributed A Dictionary of Oriental Quotations (1911)