Masnavi 3.12

Story XII. The Visions seen by the Saint Daquqi (p. 232).

To illustrate the exalted state of identification of the will with the Divine will just described, the poet tells the story of the visions and mighty works of the holy Daquqi. Daquqi was journeying in pious fervour, and in hope to see the splendour of “The Friend” in human shape, the Ocean in a drop of water, and the Sun in an atom, when late one evening he arrived at the sea-shore. Turning his eyes to heaven, he saw seven great lights never before seen of men, for “God directs whom He will.” Overwhelmed with awe, he watched these lights, and while he still watched them they united into one light. Still more amazed, he watched on, and the single light shortly assumed the likeness of seven men. Afterwards these seven men changed into seven trees; but, strange to say, although crowds of people were passing by, none of them could see these trees, so that Daquqi shared the feelings of the apostles “who lost all hope” (of convincing the world), “and deemed that they were reckoned as liars.” Possessing his soul in patience, Daquqi still watched on, and saw the seven trees bowing down in prayer, and was reminded of the text, “Plants and trees bend in adoration.” Presently the seven trees again changed into seven men, and Daqiiqi was appointed to conduct their devotions. While he was yet acting as Imam in front of them, and they were following the prayers he recited, a ship was seen in great distress and all but lost. At Daquqi’s earnest prayer the crew were saved, but straightway vanished from sight; and this led his followers to doubt the reality of the miracle which had just been performed before their eyes.

Description of a saint whose will was identified with God’s will (p. 232).

That Daquqi possessed a sweet aspect, As a lover of God and a worker of miracles. He resembled the moon of heaven come down on earth, He was as a light to them that walked in darkness. He rarely tarried in one place, And seldom stayed two days in one village. He said, “If I tarry in one house two days, Attachment to that house becomes a passion with me. I guard myself from being deceived into loving a home; Up! Soul, and travel in search of eternal wealth. My heart’s inclination is not satisfied by houses, So that they should be places of temptation for me.”

Thus by day he travelled, and by night prayed, His eyes were always gazing on the King as a falcon’s; Cut off from mankind, though not for any fault. Severed from men and women, though not for baseness; Having compassion on mankind, and wholesome as water, A kind intercessor, and one whose prayers were heard.

Benevolent to the good and the bad, and a firm ally, Better than a mother, and kinder than a father. The Prophet said, “To you, O blessed ones, I am as a father, affectionate and indulgent; For this cause, that you are all portions of me.” Wherefore should you tear away the parts from the whole? If the part be severed from its whole it is useless; If a limb be rent from the body it dies. Till it is again joined to its whole, ’Tis a dead thing, and a stranger to life. Thus Daquqi, in devotions and praises and prayers, Was ever seeking the particular favourites of God. Throughout his long journeyings his object was this, To interchange a word with the favourites of God. He cried continually as he went his way, “O Lord, let me draw near to Thy chosen ones!” So Daquqi (the mercy of God be upon him!) Said, “I journeyed long time to East and to West, I journeyed years and months for love of that Moon, Heedless of the way, absorbed in God. With bare feet I trod upon thorns and flints, Seeing I was bewildered, and beside myself, and senseless. Think not my feet touched the earth. For the lover verily travels with the heart. What knows the heart of road and stages? What of distant and near, while it is drunk with love? Distance and nearness are attributes of bodies, The journeyings of spirits are after another sort. You journeyed from the embryo state to rationality Without footsteps or stages or change of place, The journey of the soul involves not time and place. And my body learnt from the soul its mode of journeying Now my body has renounced the bodily mode of jour-

neying; It journeys secretly and without form, though under a

form.” He added, “One day I was thus filled with longing To behold in human form the splendours of ‘The Friend,’ To witness the Ocean gathered up into a drop, The Sun compressed into a single atom; And when I drew near to the shore of the sea The day was drawing to a close.”

All religions are in substance one and the same (p. 237).

In the adorations and benedictions of righteous men The praises of all the prophets are kneaded together. All their praises are mingled into one stream, All the vessels are emptied into one ewer. Because He that is praised is, in fact, only One, In this respect all religions are only one religion. Because all praises are directed towards God’s light, Their various forms and figures are borrowed from it. Men never address praises but to One deemed worthy, They err only through mistaken opinions of Him. So, when a light falls upon a wall, That wall is a connecting-link between all its beams; Yet when it casts that reflection back to its source, It wrongly shows great as small, and halts in its praises. Or if the moon be reflected in a well, And one looks down the well, and mistakenly praises it, In reality he is intending to praise the moon, Although, through ignorance, he is looking down the well. The object of his praises is the moon, not its reflection; His infidelity arises from mistake of the circumstances. That well-meaning man goes wrong through his mistake; The moon is in heaven, and he fancies it in the well. By these false idols mankind are perplexed, And driven by vain lusts to their sorrow.