The sufi path of love the spiritual teachings of rumi

title: author: publisher: isbn10 | asin: print isbn13: ebook isbn13: language: subject publication date: lcc: ddc: subject: The Sufi Path of Love : The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi SUNY Series in Islam Jalal al-Din Rumi.; Chittick, William C State University of New York Press 0873957245 9780873957243 9780585078588 English Sufism Early works to 1800 1983 BP188.9.J332513 1983eb 297/.4 Sufism Early works to 1800 Page i If you have lost heart in the Path of Love, Flee to me without delay: I am a fortress invincible (Rumi, D 17925) Page ii SUNY Series in Islamic Spirituality Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Editor Page iii The Sufi Path of Love The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi William C Chittick State University of New York Press Albany Page iv Disclaimer: This book contains characters with diacritics When the characters can be represented using the ISO 8859-1 character set (http://www.w3.org/TR/images/latin1.gif), netLibrary will represent them as they appear in the original text, and most computers will be able to show the full characters correctly In order to keep the text searchable and readable on most computers, characters with diacritics that are not part of the ISO 8859-1 list will be represented without their diacritical marks Published by State University of New York Press, Albany © 1983 State University of New York All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews For information, address State University of Now York Press, State University Plaza, Albany, N.Y., 12246 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana, 1207-1273 The Sufi path of love (SUNY series in Islamic spirituality) Includes bibliographical references and indexes SufismEarly works to 1800 I Chittick, William C II Title III Series BP188.9.J332513 1983 297'.4 82-19511 ISBN 0-87395-723-7 ISBN 0-87395-724-5 (pbk.) 20 19 18 17 16 15 Page v CONTENTS List of Abbreviations ix Introduction The Life The Works The Teachings Three Dimensions of Sufism 10 The Plan of the Book 13 The Translations 14 Part I Theory 17 A Seeing Things As They Are 19 Form and Meaning 19 Existence and Nonexistence 23 The Illusion of Dichotomy 24 "The Science of Religions" 25 B Spirit, Heart, and Intellect 27 The Spirit 27 The Levels of the Spirit 30 The Ego and the Intellect 33 The Universal Intellect and the Partial Intellect 35 Page vi The Heart 37 Interrelationships 40 C God and the World 42 The Essence, Attributes, and Acts 42 Gentleness and Severity 45 The Reason for Creation 47 Opposites 49 Good and Evil 53 Heedlessness and the Existence of the World 58 D Man 61 The Trust 61 The Goal of Creation and the Intellect 65 The Covenant of Alast 68 The Descent and Reascent of the Spirit 72 Adam and Iblis 82 Man's Place among the Creatures 85 Angel vs Satan: Intellect vs Ego 88 The Return to God 92 Congeneity 94 10 The Touchstones 99 11 Death and Resurrection 101 Part II Practice 109 A Doubters and Deniers 111 The Blindness of the Deniers 111 Fatalism and Free Choice 113 B The Prophets and Saints 119 The Need for a Guide 121 Imitative Knowledge and Realized Knowledge The Role of the Saints 125 135 The Shaykh 137 The Mirror of God 139 Rejecting the Prophets and Saints 143 False Masters 145 C The Discipline of the Way 148 Spiritual Warfare 150 Remembrance of God 158 Page vii Man's Effort and God's Grace 160 Men and Women 163 Part III Attainment to God 171 A Naughting the Self 173 Selfhood and Selflessness 173 Existence and Nonexistence 175 Annihilation and Subsistence 179 Affirmation and Negation: The Shahadah 181 Death and Rebirth 183 Poverty, Sufism, and Dervishhood 186 "I am God" 191 B Love 194 God As Love and Beyond Love 195 The World As Created by Love 197 The World As Maintained by Love 198 Love and Beauty: True and Derivative 200 Need and Aspiration 206 The Religion of Love 212 Love and the Intellect 220 Bewilderment and Madness 226 C Separation and Union 232 Separation and Suffering 236 Union and Joy 246 D Imagination and Thought 248 Imagination and the Created Order 250 Escaping Imagination 256 The Image Is All 260 Beyond the Image E Poesy and Imagery 265 268 Creation and Speech 269 The Worth of Poetry 270 Understanding Poetry and Speech 273 Interpretation of Imagery 278 F The Garden of Spring 280 burning of, 157, 280, 293 See also curtain vengeance, 58, 92 venom See poison Venus, 36, 64, 73, 123, 203, 228, 338, 343 verse See poetry vicegerent [khalifah], 62-63, 123, 191, 339 Page 426 victory, victorious, 127, 145, 211, 300, 326 vigil (night), 137, 151, 156, 292 vine, 106 vinegar, 180, 242, 335 vintner, 239 violets, 228, 284, 285 virgin, 112, 160 virtue, 11-12, 67, 161; virtuous, 91 on, 19, 125, 126, 144, 146, 154, 163, 184, 189, 218, 225, 235, 251, 279, 280, 342, 348; of God, 40, 71, 87, 174, 227, 295-296, 298; vs hearsay, knowledge, etc., 3, 25, 126, 127, 195, 224, 291 See also face vizier, 41, 213, 266, 342 void, 39 vomit, 331, 335 vulgar, 56, 127, 206, 235, 246, 313 See elect vulture, 158, 223 vulva, 274 W wafa', 238 wahy, 120 wakefulness, 59, 239, 255, 263, 279, 323 wali, 353 n 12 See saint walnut, 131, 167, 310 war, 21, 51, 55, 62, 86, 165, 199, 219, 221, 242, 321, 322; Greater Holy, 151, 154, 155, 165; holy, 151, 154, 161-162, 165, 193, 284 See peace Warfare, 326; spiritual warfare, 69, 82, 86, 173, 246, 272 See combat, spiritual Warrior, 186, 206, 277, 337; spiritual warrior, 114, 161, 164, 281, 282 washing clothes, 136, 144, 259 wasilan, 246 watchman, 140, 253, 347 water, 36, 53, 59, 70, 71, 86, 130, 159, 199, 202, 207-209, 218, 254, 277, 278, 296, 307, 330, 342, 343, 345; and clay, 30, 37, 38-40, 70, 81, 83, 89, 95, 149, 200, 202, 244, 269, 275, 281, 283, 296, 300, 309, 325, 326, 331, 344; (the element) 51-52; of the eyes, 160, 241, 259; vs fire See fire Of life, 71, 78, 91, 185, 195, 213, 214, 218, 220, 229, 263, 293, 303, 314, 315, 331, 349; salt vs fresh, 50, 153, 167, 312 waterskin, 130, 275, 305 waves, 22, 50, 59, 94, 140, 161, 275, 327 wax, 47, 235, 254, 346 way, 10-11, 122, 123, 131, 135, 155, 157, 162, 166, 181, 187, 214, 216, 257, 259, 299, 306, 312, 332 See path Way station, 73, 78, 134, 162, 214 wealth, 158, 201, 207, 238-239 weaver, 122, 219 weeping (tears), 131, 137, 168, 199, 211, 217, 218, 243; of blood, 71, 154, 239, 271, 300, 322 well, 159; and rope, 82, 159, 344 See Joseph west See east whale, 219 wheat, 95-96, 204, 214, 269 wheel of heaven, 20, 198 See spheres whip, 47 whole [kull] See part whore, 229, 306; whoremonger, 293, 294 wife, 118, 299 willow, 235, 283, 284 Page 427 wind, 19, 24, 100, 159, 197, 199, 214, 223, 265, 271, 284, 326, 331, 346; east, 219, 226, 317, 341; (= pride) 224, 272 See dust window, 10, 38, 121, 124, 225, 227, 298, 328 wine, 32, 64, 117, 142, 173, 174, 181, 208, 227, 234, 239, 241, 267, 276, 287, 290, 291, 297, 299, 301, 306, 311-324, 327, 329-333, 335, 337, 338, 340, 342, 343, 348; of the Beloved's lips, 272, 324; of love, 140, 300; pure, 204, 314, 317, 318, 328, 331, 339; of the spirit, 312, 314, 315, 318, 320, 326; winecellar, 313; wine-seller, wine-selling, 290, 312, 324, 330, 331 winesickness khumar], 323-325, 331, 343, 348 wing, 25, 28, 41, 50, 84, 87, 89, 96, 102, 125, 127, 139, 158, 213, 215, 222, 223, 225, 252, 257, 270, 282 winter, 20, 281, 285, 291 wisal, 232 wisdom [hikmat], 20, 21, 36, 48, 56, 87, 128, 139, 151, 273, 329; Divine, 50, 89, 95, 198; wise (man) 24, 92, 259, 270, 341 witness [shahid], 242, 288-293, 309, 310, 315, 316, 318, 348 wolf, 34, 71, 84, 101, 104, 158, 252, 335; and Joseph, 105, 335, 346 woman, 129, 168-169, 200, 201, 208, 229, 267, 273, 286-288, 310, 338; womanliness, 166 See man See also beauties; bride, crone; daughter; Eve; female; femininity; girl; houri; ladies; maidens; mother; virgin; whore; wife; witness womb, 22, 44, 77, 184, 241, 328, 342 wont [sunnat], 161, 162 wool, 145, 190, 252, 259 word(s), 8, 146, 207, 219, 251, 262, 269-272, 274, 275, 277, 282, 307, 308, 341, 349; and deeds (acts), 51, 81, 123; of God, 87, 268, 269 work(s), 10, 33, 75, 107, 116, 117, 122, 123, 214; good, 3, 44, 101, 106 workshop, 177-178, 184 world, 20, 24, 26, 37, 41, 43, 64, 67-68, 78, 103, 105, 134, 135, 167, 184, 197, 198, 251, 341; worlds, 105, 187, 205, 212, 309; this, 22, 51, 97, 100, 107, 118, 132, 193, 214, 235, 250-252, 295, 307, 313, 321, 339; this and the other, 59, 103, 107, 117, 121, 127, 136, 154, 186, 190, 197, 199, 204, 245, 319, 328; the two, 39, 59, 66, 140, 142, 155, 188, 216, 217, 219, 231, 243, 277, 291, 296, 299, 307, 309, 311, 320, 321, 328, 338, 340; worldlings, 136, 205 worm, 154 worship [`ibadat], 114, 154, 210, 246, 255, 321 wound, wounded, 29, 34, 39, 72, 78, 143, 190, 241, 252, 255, 293, 298, 327, 346 wraith [khayal], 259, 267, 309 wrath [ghadab], 53 See mercy wretchedness [shaqawat], 128, 129, 312 writing, 36, 50, 177, 253, 254 wujud, 23, 173 Y yad, 150 Yazid, 146, 356 n 15 Page 428 yellow (face, cheeks), 160, 162, 218, 237, 242, 343; like gold, 146, 209, 217, 336, 338 Yonder, 26, 230, 240, 270, 296 youth, 78, 183, 179 Z zahir, 21 zodiac, 75, 358 n 16 See also constellations Zoroastrians, 54 Zulaykha, 121, 235, 355 n Page 429 INDEX OF KORANIC QUOTATIONS AND PROPHETIC SAYINGS I 5: Lead us on the Straight Path 227 II 7: God has set a seal upon their hearts 58, 59 II 30: I am setting in the earth a vicegerent 61 II 31: He taught Adam the names, all of them 62, 74, 83, 269 II 115: Wheresoever you turn, there is His Face 306 II 138: The Baptism of God 192 II 144: Wherever you are, turn your faces 121 II 156: Unto Him we are returning 50, 78, 166 II 249: God is with the patient 293 II 250: Make firm our feet 245 II 257: As for the unbelievers their protectors are idols 145 III 14: Made attractive to men is the love of desireswomen 168 III 17: The patient, the sincere and the spending 56 III 31: Say: "If you love God, follow me " 11 III 54: God is the best of deceivers 58 III 97: Within it are clear signs 124 III 137: Journey in the land 124 IV 56: We shall give them other skins 90 V 54: God will bring a people whom He loves and who love Him 195-196, 209 V 99: It is only for the messenger to deliver the message 282 V 119: God is well-pleased with them and they are well-pleased with Him 209 Page 430 VI 104: Eyes comprehend Him not, but He comprehends the eyes 49 VI 161: Ten the like of it 233 VII 11-12: We created you the angels bowed themselves, save Iblis 83 VII 23: Lord, we have wronged ourselves 84, 85 VII 54: His are the creation and the command 43 VII 59 etc.: You have no god other than He 304 VII 99: God's deception 58 VII 172: Am I not (alast) your Lord? 68, 70, 87, 188 VII 189: So that Adam might find repose in her 168 VII 204: Be silent 122, 126 VIII 17: Thou didst not throw when thou threwest, but God threw 188 IX 111: God is the customer 132 X 22: God is swifter at deception 58 XII 53: The soul incites to evil 33 XIV 9: Whom none knows but God 246 XV 39: My Lord, for Thy leading me astray 84, 117 XVII 44: There is nothing that does not proclaim His praise 128 XVII 70: We have honored the children of Adam 63-65, 78, 114 XVII 85: The spirit is from the command of my Lord 27, 28, 34, 43, 292 XVIII 47: The subsistent things, the deeds of righteousness 214 XVIII 111: Only a mortal like you 137 XIX 23: The pangs of childbirth drove her to the trunk of the palm tree 241 XIX 31: Blessed He has made me, wherever I may be 134 XX 12: Put off thy two shoes 296 XX 17-18: Oh Moses, what is that That is my staff 296 XX 19: Cast it down 296 XXl 93: To Us they shall return 303 XXII 17: God is Witness over everything 288 XXIII 12-14: We created man of an extraction of clay 76-77 XXIV 25-26: God will pay them their just due corrupt women for corrupt men 94 XXIV 35: Light upon light 158, 241 XXIV 61: Nothing intolerable is laid upon the blind 116 XXV 45: How He has stretched out the shadow 136 XXV 58: The Living God, the Undying 191 XXVII 10: Throw down thy staff 296 XXVII 16: We have been taught the Language of the Birds 235 XXVII 34: Kings, when they enter a city, ruin it 247 XXVIII 15: This is of Satan's doing 359 n 24 XXVIII 88: There is no god but He: All things perish, except His Face 181, 182, 258, 305 XXIX 2: Do people think they will not be tried 49 Page 431 XXXI 28: Your creation and your upraising are as but a single soul 72 XXXIII 21: You have a good example in God's Messenger 11 XXXIII 45: Oh Prophet! We have sent thee as a witness 288 XXXIII 72: We offered the Trust and man carried it Surely he is sinful, very foolish 63, 341 XXXVI 81: His command "Be!" and it is 268, 269 XXXVII 35 etc.: There is no god but God 7, 181-182, 192, 215, 305, 306 XXXVII 102: I saw in a dream that I must sacrifice you 81 XXXVIII 72-73: See, I am creating a mortal of clay 152 XXXIX 38: God is enough for me 224 XLI 11: Come willingly or unwillingly 226 XLVII 36: The present world is naught but a game 187, 205 L 16: We are nearer to him than his jugular vein 301 L 22: We have removed your covering, so today your sight is piercing 59, 102 L 30: Is there any more? 90 LI 56: I have not created the jinn and mankind except to worship Me, 359 n 18 LIII 17: His eyes swerved not, nor swept astray 291, 295 LIII 39: A man shall have to his account only as he has labored 162 LIII 42: So He is the Goal 202 LV 1-2: The All-Merciful taught the Koran 129, 130 LV 29: Every day He is upon some labor 44, 295 LXII 5: Like an ass carrying books 129 LXIV 2: One of you is an unbeliever and one of you a believer 87 LXVI 5: Submissive, obedient, penitent, devout 106 LXVI 8: Their light running before them 214 LXVII 2: That He might try you, which of you is fairest in works 99 LXX 23: Those who are constantly at their prayers 153, 154 LXXVI 5: Surely the pious shall drink 21, 322 LXXVI 21: Their Lord shall give them to drink a pure draught 314, 315, 320, 321, 332 LXXIX 1-2: By those that pluck out and those that draw out 106 LXXXVII 13: He shall neither die therein, nor live 71 LXXXIX 29-30: Enter thou among My servants 122 XCIV 1: Did We not expand thy breast? 291 XCV 1: The fig 337 XCV 5: The lowest of the low 86, 97 XCVI 19: Prostrate yourself and draw nigh 212 CVIII 1: Surely We have given thee abundance 63, 64 CXI 5: A rope of palm-fiber 287 A Adam and the prophets are behind me under my banner 67 As you live, you shall die 134 Assume the virtues of God 11 Page 432 B Begin with your own self 148 Behold the form of the heavens and the earth 20 The believer is discerning 310 The believers are brothers, and the men of knowledge are like a single soul 72 The believer sees with the Light of God 120 But for thee, I would not have created the heavenly spheres 63-64, 66, 197, 198, 289, 292, 293, 334 C Congregation is a mercy, separation chastisement 134 D Die before you die 183 Do not investigate God's Essence 44 G The first thing created by God was the Intellect (or, my light) 66 God created Adam in His own Form (or, upon the Form of the All-Merciful) 12, 61 God created the angels and placed within them the intellect ., the beasts ., the children of Adam So he whose intellect dominates his sensuality is higher than the angels 85, 86, 152 God inculcates wisdom on the tongues of preachers 273 H Had I been offered a shinbone, 295 He who knows himself knows his Lord 65 The heart is between the two fingers of the All-Merciful, 51, 280, 354 n 17 I I am like the ark of Noah: he who enters it will be saved, but he who turns away will drown 123, 139 I cannot count Thy blessings 331 I have returned from the lesser holy war to the Greater Holy War 151 Impart no wisdom to the unworthy 309 I was a Hidden Treasure 47, 48, 56, 71, 197, 200 I was a prophet when Adam was between spirit and body 61 K Knowledge is a light 10 Knowledge without works is like a tree without fruit 10 L The Law is my words, the Way is my works, 10, 150 M Most of the people of paradise are simpletons 224 My Companions are like stars 358 n 15 My heavens and My earth encompass Me not, but the heart of My servant does encompass Me 39, 125 My Mercy is prior to My Wrath 46, 47, 92 N The night is long, so shorten it not 156 No eye has seen it, no ear has heard it, 205, 278 No one who has passed away feels regret at death, but at what he let slip by 102 O Oh how I desire to meet my brothers 142, 356 n 14 Oh Lord, show us things as they are 19 The old man among his people is like the prophet 120 P The Pen has dried concerning what shall be 113, 117-118 Poverty is my pride 187, 188 Put the females last 34 ... CONTENTS List of Abbreviations ix Introduction The Life The Works The Teachings Three Dimensions of Sufism 10 The Plan of the Book 13 The Translations 14 Part I Theory 17 A Seeing Things As They Are... referring to the Names and Attributes of God Other examples include the Companions (of the Prophet Muhammad), the Straight Path (= Islam or Sufism), the Way (= Sufism), Time (= the whole cycle of time... Evil 53 Heedlessness and the Existence of the World 58 D Man 61 The Trust 61 The Goal of Creation and the Intellect 65 The Covenant of Alast 68 The Descent and Reascent of the Spirit 72 Adam and