Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Its In The Beyond

Once while Jalalludin Rumi was teaching his pupils in the open courtyard, next to a fountain, an externally-shabbily dressed but internally-perfectly adorned Sufi, Shams Tabrez came to their assembly and watched them. He saw Rumi referring to numerous handwritten books in the course of his teaching. Shams asked Jalalludin Rumi as to what was in the books.

Jalalludin Rumi replied, "O! Sufi. This contains knowledge that is beyond your understanding so you continue to read your rosary." Unnoticed by Rumi, Shams Tabrez threw all the books into the pond of water. When Rumi’s students saw what occurred they began beating Shams Tabrez. This and the screams of Shams Tabrez alerted Rumi as to what occurred. He complained that all his valuable knowledge had been destroyed. Shams Tabrez said; "Tell your pupils to leave me alone and I will give back your books."

A visibly dejected Rumi conceded to the request thinking that this was impossible. He was surprised to see Shams Tabrez, recite Bismillah (in the name of God), lift the drenched books from the pond, blew dust of them and returned them to him intact.

He asked Shams Tabrez as to how he did this. Shams Tabrez replied, "This knowledge is beyond your understanding so you continue to teach your pupils." Jalalludin Rumi fell at his feet and was swept into the currents of love. The presence of this ragged Sufi, Shams Tabrez, changed Jallaluddin Rumi from a respected professor of theology into a lover of God, one who summed up his whole life with the phrase, "I burnt, and I burnt, and I burnt." Shams Tabrez, targeted Rumi since he knew that Rumi was ready for receiving Spiritual Training but the veil of conceit, regarding his knowledge, had to be lifted.


2 comments:

dew embun said...

Sweet!

I wonder who my Shams Tabrez may be...
One who whacks me on my head hard and then takes my hand to walk on in Life...
Kinda phoenix-like...to rise from the ashes. To self-destruct first before self-construct.
I would fall on his feet too.

Or maybe, may I be the books. To be discarded and then returned intact.

TheHoopoe said...

dew embun,

most times, we don't know whether we are the books or the person in this story.

and yet, we are also interchangeable, at times, without realising it.

so, the moral of the story is: put in our best conscious efforts always, then put our faith in Him, and finally, allow Him to do His Work.

we should just enjoy the ride. its the only way :)