(Masnavi Book 3: 41) The Visions and Miracles of Daquqi

The story of Daqúqí and his miraculous gifts.

That Daqúqí had a fair front; he was a (spiritual) lord who loved (God) and possessed miraculous gifts.

1925. He walked on earth as the moon in heaven: by him the spirits of the night-travellers became illumined.

He would not make his abode in any one place, he would not spend two days in a village. He said, “If I stay two days in one house, love of that dwelling-place is kindled in me.

I am afraid of being beguiled by the dwelling-place: migrate, O my soul, and travel to

independence.

I will not accustom my heart's nature to locality, (and I do this) in order that it may be pure in the (hour of) trial.”

1930. During the day he was (engaged) in travel, during the night in ritual prayer: his eye

(was) open on the King, and he (himself was) like the falcon.

(He was) severed from the creatures (of God), (but) not on account of ill nature; isolated from man and woman, (but) not because of dualism.

A compassionate man to the creatures and beneficial (to them) as water; a goodly intercessor, and his prayers were answered.

(He was) kind to the good and the bad, and a sure refuge (for them); (he was) better than a mother, dearer than a father.

The Prophet said, “O sirs, to you I am compassionate and kind as a father,

1935. Because ye all are parts of me.” Why (then) will ye tear the part away from the whole? (When) the part is severed from the whole, it becomes useless; (when) the limb is severed from the body, it becomes carrion.

Till it is joined once more to the whole, it is dead: it has no consciousness of life; And if it move, yet it has no support: the newly severed limb also moves.

If the part be severed and fall asunder from this (spiritual) whole, this is not the (kind of) whole

that is liable to defect.

1940. Separation from it and conjunction with it are not (really) predicable; the defective thing has been mentioned (only) for the sake of comparison.

Return to the story of Daqúqí.

He (the Prophet) once compared ‘Alí to a lion, (but) the lion is not like him, though he (the

Prophet) used (this expression).

From comparison (mithál) and likeness (mithl) and the difference between those (terms) push on, O youth, towards the story of Daqúqí:

That one who in giving legal judgements was the Imám of the people and in piety bore away the ball from the angels;

That one who checkmated (eclipsed) the moon in wayfaring, while the Religion (itself) was

jealous of his religiousness.

1945. Notwithstanding such piety and devotions and (nights passed in) performance of the ritual prayer, he was always seeking the elect (the saints) of God.

In travel his chief object was that he might come in touch for a moment with an elect servant (of

God).

Whilst he was going along the road, he would be saying, “O God, make me a companion of the elect.

O Lord, to those (saints) whom my heart knows I am a slave and one who has girt his loins and

is ready to do (them) good service;

And (as for) those whom I know not, do Thou, O God of the soul, make them kindly disposed to me who am debarred (from knowing them).”

1950. The Lord would say to him, “O most noble prince, what passion is this and what unquenchable thirst is this?

You have My love: why art you seeking other (than Mine)? When God is with you, how do you seek man?”

He would answer, “O Lord, O Knower of the secret, You have opened in my heart the way of

supplication.

If I am seated in the midst of the Sea, yet have I set my desire on the water in the jug.

I am like David: I have ninety ewes, and yet desire for my rival's ewe has arisen in me.

1955. Greed for Thy love is glorious and grand; greed for (the love of) any besides you is shameful and corrupt.”

The lust and greed of the manly is advancement (in the spiritual Way), while that of the effeminate is disgrace and irreligion.

The greed of (true) men is by the forward way, (but) greed in the effeminate goes backward. The one greed belongs to the perfection of manliness, while the other greed is (a cause of)

opprobrium and disgust.

Ah, there is a very occult mystery here (in the fact) that Moses sets out to run towards a Khizr.

1960. By God, do not tarry in anything (any spiritual position) that you have gained, (but crave more) like one suffering from dropsy who is never sated with water.

This (Divine) court is the Infinite Plane. Leave the seat of honour behind: the Way is your seat of honour.