Hasan came upon Rabia one day when she was sitting among several contemplators, and said, “I have the capacity of walking on water. Come, let us both go on to that water…
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The teacher
A man came to Bahaudin Shah and said, “First I followed this teacher and then that one. Next I studied these books and then those. I feel that although I know nothing…
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The bad coin
There was once an old Sufi who earned his living by selling all sorts of odds and ends. It seemed as if the man had no judgment because people would frequently pay…
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You cannot hide from yourself
You can hide something from others but you cannot hide it from yourself, and it is there that God is hiding. It is not in the object, it is in the subject…
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A debt of gratitude
“What are you planting?” the man asked his neighbour. “Mango trees,” replied the neighbour. “Do you expect to eat their fruit in your lifetime?” “It occurred to me the other day,” said…
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Greater love
Once upon a time there was a poor shepherd who lived in a small hut in the wilderness. He grazed his camels and goats, collected some fruits and roots, and with the…
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Life belongs to those who can play
There is an old Sufi fable. In a very ancient family, there was some musical organ, but people had completely forgotten how to play it. Generations came and people even forgot that…
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One life, many masters
One of the great Sufi Masters, Junnaid, was dying. His chief disciple came close to him and asked softly, ″Master, you are leaving us. One question has always been in our minds. …
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We are already God
Rabiya (also Rabia) , a great Sufi mystic, was passing…. It was the street she used to pass every day on her way to the marketplace, because in the marketplace she would…
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A heap of skulls
This is a story about Bayazid, a Sufi mystic. Once, he was passing through a cemetery and he came upon a heap of skulls. Out of curiosity he took one skull. He…