THE SPIRIT OF ISLAM

What does human nature desire more than anything? It desires, above all, peace and love. During the journey he encamped near a large grove of trees upon which doves used to perch. During this halt one of the Sufi’s disciples aimed at one of the doves, killed it, cooked it and then ate it. Afterwards something strange happened. A flock of doves came to the tree under which the Sufi was resting and began hovering over it and making a noise. The Sufi, communicating with the leader of the birds, asked what the matter with them was and why they were protesting. The leader replied, ‘We have a complaint to make against you, that is, one of your disciples has killed one of us.’ Then the Sufi called the disciple in question and asked him about it. He said that he had not done anything wrong, as the birds were their foodstuff. He was hungry, so he killed one for food. He thought that in so doing he had not done anything wrong. The Sufi then conveyed this reply to the leader of the doves. The latter replied: ‘Perhaps you have failed to understand our point. Actually what we are complaining about is that all of you came here in the garb of Sufis yet acted as hunters. Had you came here in hunter’s garb; we would certainly have remained alert. When we saw you in the guise of Sufis, we thought that we were safe with you and remained perched on the top of the tree without being properly vigilant.’ This parable illustrates well the reality of a truly religious or spiritual person. One who has reached the stage of spiritual upliftment and has found the true essence of religion no longer has the will or capacity to do harm. He gives life not death, to others. He benefits others, doing no injury to anyone. In short, he lives among the people like flowers and not like thorns. He has nothing but love in his heart to bestow upon others. Some verses from the Quran about prayer and meditation in Islam are now discussed here: “When My servants ask you about Me, say that I am near. I respond to the call of one who calls, whenever he calls to Me: let them, then, respond to Me, and believe in Me, so that they may be rightly guided.” (2: 186)