Volume One
The heart of a devout man (Çelebi Hüsameddin) yearns for the outcome of that tale of a husband and wife. The story of the couple is merely a fable. Yet, understand it as an allegory of the soul and intellect.
This woman and man are desire and reason. They are essential to both the righteous and the wicked. These two are prisoners within the earth, engaged in constant struggle and adventure. The woman ceaselessly demands the needs of the home, the honor of the household – that is, the bread, prosperity, respect required by the house.
Desire, like a woman, seeks solutions to every matter; sometimes displaying humility, other times aspiring to grandeur and elevation. Reason, however, is already aware of these thoughts, its mind consumed only with the remembrance of Allah.
The inner meaning of this story lies in this very duality – the struggle between desire and reason. Yet, listen carefully to the outward narrative. If the mere conveyance of meaning were sufficient, the people of the world would be rendered incapable of work and effort, and the order of the universe would collapse. If love were merely thought and meaning, the outward form of your fasting and prayer would vanish and disappear. The gifts that friends bestow upon one another are but appearances in relation to friendship. But through these gifts, witness is borne to the hidden loves within hearts. For, noble one, outward acts of kindness bear witness to hidden loves. And a witness can be either truthful or deceitful.
A drunkard sometimes becomes intoxicated by wine, and at other times by buttermilk! One who drinks buttermilk may feign drunkenness, making noise and appearing inebriated. That deceiver may pretend to be consumed by the intoxication of love, appearing pious with fasting and prayer.
What arises from outward actions is entirely different, yet it serves as a sign of what lies hidden within the heart. O Lord, accept our supplication, grant us this discernment so that we may distinguish the crooked, deceitful signs from the truthful ones.
How does one attain such discernment? It is through the light of Allah that one sees and understands; only then can this discernment be obtained. Even if a deed is absent, its cause will reveal it – like kinship… Kinship proclaims love. But the person whose Imam and sovereign is Allah, illuminated by His light, is not beholden to deeds or causes. As love blazes within the heart, it grows; eventually, the lover becomes free from the need for outward manifestations of his love, for his love has spread its light throughout all creation. Much detail remains to be elaborated for this statement to be complete, but seek it out. Though the meaning is apparent in this form, it is both close and distant from the ultimate truth!
In regard to delusion, meaning and form are like water and a tree – utterly separate when examined closely. Abandon even their essences and particulars. Tell of the circumstances of those two husband and wife seeking sustenance.
The Arab said: “I have abandoned separation. The judgment is yours. Draw your sword, command; I am obedient to whatever you say—whether good or bad; I will sacrifice myself for you, for I love you.” The woman replied, “Do you truly love me, or are you seeking to uncover my secret through trickery?”
The man said: “By Allah, the Knower of hidden secrets and the Creator of Adam, I love you. Allah showed Adam all that was, is, and will be in the souls and tablets, teaching him from ‘Allemelesma.’ Thus, the angels were amazed by his instruction, transcending themselves through his sanctification, attaining a sacredness they had not reached even in the heavens. The enlightenment Adam received through his pure soul surpassed the seven celestial spheres.
The Prophet said: “Allah says, ‘I do not fit within the heights, the depths, the earth, the heavens, or even the Throne.’ Know this intimately, O beloved. Yet, it is astonishing that I can fit into the heart of a believer. If you seek Me, search for Me in the hearts of believers.”
Allah said: “O you who fear forbidden things and suspicion! Enter among My servants so that through them you may attain paradise – the vision of My grace.” Even the Throne, with its boundless vastness, rose from its place when it beheld Adam. Though the Throne possesses infinite greatness, what is form in comparison to meaning? Every angel said: “Before this, we had the earth and our scattering; we were sowing seeds of service and worship upon the earth.”
They marveled at their affinity for the earth, this connection. How can beings created from the heavens have such an attachment to the earth? We are lights—why do we have kinship with darkness? O Adam! This kinship is due to your fragrance. For the body of your essence is of the earth; they wove your earthly form from the soil and found your pure light there. Now, the affection our souls find is a reflection of the soil from which our bodies were molded. We were on the earth but ignorant of it, unaware of the treasure buried within. When Allah commanded us to journey from this world to the heavens, that change brought pain. That is why we came to Allah with arguments: ‘O Allah! Who will take our place? You are selling the light of our praise and glorification.’
Allah’s decree spread a blanket of mercy upon them: “Speak plainly what you desire, as children speak to their fathers. Say whatever comes to your mind, even if it seems inappropriate, for My mercy is greater than My wrath.”
“O angel! To bring this about, I will sow doubts in your hearts so that you may speak; and I shall not be displeased, nor angered. Thus, no mouth will utter denial of My clemency.”
“With every breath, hundreds of fathers and mothers are born from Our clemency, plunging into nothingness and perishing. The clemency and compassion of those fathers and mothers are but foam from the sea of Our clemency and compassion. Foam comes and goes, but the sea remains.” He added: “No, what I said was not mere foam; it is the foam of the foam. For the sake of that foam, for the sake of that pure sea, this word is a test, not just idle talk.”
Love, devotion, and submission have brought forth excellence. By Allah, to whom I will present myself! If this desire is merely a test, then let it be tested. Reveal your secret so that mine may be revealed. Command me to do all that is within my power; conceal nothing from my heart so that I may know what I can accomplish. But how shall I? What resource do I have?”
The woman said: “A sun has risen, illuminating the entire world. He is Allah’s deputy, Allah’s vicegerent. Baghdad flourishes because of him. If you reach this sovereign, you will become a sovereign. How long will you continue to associate with those who lack prestige? The friendship of the prestigious is like alchemy—where can one find such chemistry?”
“Ahmed’s eye became Siddiq through a confirmation of Abu Bakr.” The man said: “How shall I be accepted in the presence of the sovereign? How can I go to him without an excuse? A connection, a means is needed. Does any craft come into being without tools?”
Like Majnun, who heard that Layla was ailing from someone. ‘Woe is me!’ he exclaimed; ‘how can I go without an excuse? What will become of me if I do not inquire about her well-being? If only I were a skilled physician… then I would hasten to Layla.’”
Allah said, “Come,” and this invitation removed our shame. Had they eyes and abilities like the night birds, they would fly and wander.”
The woman replied: “The generous sovereign appears; his very presence makes toollessness itself a tool, lack of means becomes the means. For a tool is a means; it is a sign of existence. True excellence lies in toollessness, in humility.”
The Arab said: “How can I be without tools and attain toollessness? I need proof of my insolvency so that the sovereign may pity me. Show me something other than gossip and trickery so that this gracious sovereign may show mercy. For such testimony, based on words and deceitful tricks, is rejected in the presence of the Master of Judges. The witness of an insolvent must be truthfulness—so that its light shines without speaking (his condition is understood without explanation).”
The woman said: “Truth comes forth by completely detaching from existence and abandoning desire. We have water in our test – this is your wealth, your property, your capital. Take this watering pot and go; approach the kings of kings, and present it as a gift. Say: ‘We possess nothing but this. No water like this can be found in the desert. This water is rare.’”
“This test is what? Our bodies, like graves, contain the waters of our pain and feelings. O Allah! Accept this cup from Your generous and merciful grace mentioned in the verse ‘Allah has bought from them their souls and their possessions in exchange for Paradise.’ Purify the water in this five-nozzled test of our five senses from all impure things and all kinds of filth. Thus, let this test have an outlet to the sea so that it may become like the sea.”
When the gift is presented to the sovereign, he sees it and seeks to understand it. Then, the water in the test will reach an endless degree. The waters of hundreds of worlds will fill from the water of the test. Close the nozzles and fill the pot from the test.
Allah commanded: “Close your eyes from desires and passions.” The Arab was proud to have such a gift. The woman did not know that along the road, the Tigris flowed like sugar—flowing through the city with ships and fishing nets, flowing like a sea. Arrive at the presence of the sovereign and see his splendor and majesty; gaze upon places praised as having rivers of gold! Compared to this pure sea, our understandings are but a drop in the bucket.
The Arab said: “Yes, close the mouth of the test; truly, this gift is worthy of such a sovereign.” The woman also did not know that a river of sugar flowed along the road.
[The text continues with the same theme and style.]