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(Masnavi Book 4: 16) The Miracles of Shaykh ‘Abdullah Maghribí






The miraculous gifts and illumination of Shaykh Abdullah Maghribi, may God sanctify his spirit.

Shaykh Abdullah Maghribí said, “During sixty years I never perceived in night the quality of night.
During sixty years I never experienced any darkness, neither by day nor by night nor from
infirmity.”

600. The Súfís declared his words to be true: During the night we would follow him
Into deserts filled with thorns and ditches, he going in front of us like the full moon.
Without looking behind him, he would say, (though it was) at night-time, Hark! here is a ditch:
turn to the left!’
Then, after a little while, he would say, ‘Turn to the right, because a thorn is before your feet.Day would break: we would come to kiss his foot, and his foot would be like the feet of a bride,

605. No trace of earth or mud on it, none of scratch from thorns or bruise from stones.”
God made the Maghribí a Mashriqí: He made the place of sunset (maghrib) light-producing like the place of sunrise (mashriq).
The light of this one who belongs to the Sun of suns is riding (in majesty): by day he is guarding
high and low.
How should that glorious light, which brings thousands of suns into view, not be a guardian? By his light do you walk always in safety amidst dragons and scorpions.

610. That holy light is going in front of you and tearing every highwayman to pieces. Know aright (the meaning of the text) on the Day when He (God) will not put the Prophet to shame; read (their) light shall run before them.
Although that (light) will be increased at the Resurrection, (yet) beg of God (to grant thee) trial
(of it) here;
For He bestows spiritual light both on cloud and mist, and God best knoweth how to impart (it).

How Solomon, on whom be peace, bade the envoys of Bilqis ret urn to her with the gifts which they had brought; and how he called Bilqis to (accept) the Faith and to abandon sun-worship.

“O shamefaced envoys, turn back! The gold is yours: bring unto me the heart, the (pure) heart!

615. Lay this gold of mine on the top of that gold (of yours): date corporis caecitatem pudendo mulae.
Annulo aureo pudendum mulae idoneurn est; the lover’s gold is the pallid yellow countenance; For that (countenance) is the object of the Lord’s regard, while the mine (of gold) results from
the sun’s casting looks (of favour).
How can (that which is) the sunbeams object of regard be compared with (that which is) an object of regard to the Lord of the quintessence’?
“Make of your souls a shield against my taking (you) captive, though (in truth) ye are my captives even now.”

620. The bird tempted by the bait is (still) on the roof: with wings outspread, it is
(nevertheless) imprisoned in the trap.
Inasmuch as with (all) its soul it has given its heart to (has become enamoured of) the bait, deem it caught, (though apparently it is still) uncaught.
Deem the looks which it is directing to the bait to be the knot that it is tying on its legs.
The bait says,If you art stealing your looks (away from me) I am stealing from you patience and constancy.

When those looks have drawn you after me, then you wilt know that I am not inattentive to you.

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