I only long to meet a true friend of God.
And wish to reach the presence of this friend.
From grief, my heart won’t open
Without seeing the face of the friend.
Many people wanted to meet dervish ‘Abdullah, because he was said to be one of the friends of God. Few people, however, took the trouble to actually go and meet him. Why? The dervish lived near the top of a steep mountain in a Sufi khanegah.
Climbing this mountain was difficult. Salik was determined to meet dervish ‘Abdullah. After seven hours he reached the khanegah and knocked on its door.
When the door was opened, Salik saw a small, nondescript man appear who asked him: “Yes?”
“I have come to see dervish ‘Abdullah”.
“Follow me, please.”
Salik then followed the small man through the khanegah, along a hallway with doorsteps open to various rooms. Salik would peak hastily around, but the man ahead was moving so very quickly through the khanegah, that Salik only could rush after him.
After a short time, they arrived at the back door. The small man opened it wide and said goodbye to Salik.
“But I’ve come to see dervish ‘Abdullah!”
“You have now seen me.”
And the next thing Salik knew, he found himself outside, the door of the khanegah solidly closed behind him.
My eye wishes to see you!
My ear wishes to hear you!
Now I wish to climb the mountain
In order to find you!
The next day, Salik again climbed the steep mountain. After seven hours he was able to knock at the door of the khanegah. The same small man, dervish ‘Abdullah, opened the door and asked: “Yes?”
“Please, give me an important Sufi lesson!”
“I’ll tell you a Sufi story:
Once there was a mountain climber. One day, he decided to climb a very high mountain. So, he climbed, and he climbed and he climbed… Then night fell. When he was just 100 meters from the summit, he slipped and fell a long way down.
Since he was a pro, he was wearing a safety harness. But then suddenly…, the rope jerked tight and he was hanging in mid-air. Complete darkness. Wind and snow. The man, desperate, started yelling: “My God, my God, help me! Save me please!”
Silence.
Then suddenly, a voice, a voice that filled the whole mountain. It told him: “Do you want Me to save you, my friend?”
“Yes, my Lord!”
“Do you have faith in Me?”
“Yes, my Lord! Save me!”
So, God told him: “Take your knife and cut the rope that holds you!”
The man, he took the knife, but he didn’t cut the rope. On the contrary, he held on tight so he wouldn’t fall. The next day, the rescue team found him: dead, dangling from the rope, frozen. He was two meters off the ground.”
After concluding this story, before Salik knew it, the door of the khanegah was closed once more by dervish ‘Abdullah, leaving Salik standing outside.
I have left Salik behind.
The veil of my heart has been opened.
I have found the soul of souls.
I have reached union with the friend.
Salik took a bath at a spring by the base of that mountain. He forsook all dependence on his own knowledge and works, and went up to dervish ‘Abdullah as one in need. Just then, dervish ‘Abdullah was coming down towards him and said: “You have cut your rope!”
Courtesy: https://sufi-tavern.com/
A dervish in Islam can refer broadly to members of a Sufi fraternity, or more narrowly to a religious mendicant, who chose or accepted material poverty.
A khanegah (also khanqah) is a public place where members of the Sufi faith gather to perform rituals and spiritual teachings).