How the ambassador of Rúm came to the Commander of the Faithful, ‘Umar, may God be well-pleased with him, and witnessed the gifts of grace with which ‘Umar, may God be well-pleased with him, was endowed.
To ‘Umar in Medina there came through the wide desert an ambassador from the Emperor of Rúm.
He said, “O ye attendants, where is the palace of the Caliph, that I may take thither my horse and baggage?”
The folk said to him, “He has no palace: ‘Umar's (only) palace is an illumined spirit.
Purge thy heart's eye of hair and defect, and then hope to behold his palace.
When Mohammed was purged of this fire and smoke (of human passions), wheresoever he turned his face, was the Face of Allah.
Inasmuch as thou art a friend to the evil suggestions of the malign one (Satan), how wilt thou know (the true meaning of) There is the Face of Allah?
Every one in whose breast the gate is opened will behold from every city the sun (shining).
Lay two finger-ends on thy two eyes, and wilt thou see aught of the world? Deal justly (confess that thou wilt see nothing).
If thou dost not see this world, (yet) it is not non-existent: the fault lies not save in the finger of thy evil self.
Come, lift the finger from thine eye, and then behold whatsoever thou wishest.
To Noah his people said, ‘Where is the Divine recompense?’ He said, ‘On the other side of they cover themselves with their garments.
Ye have wrapped your faces and heads in your clothes: of necessity ye have eyes and see not.’
Man is eye, and (all) the rest is (worthless) skin: the sight of that (eye) is (consists in) seeing the Beloved.
When there is not sight of the Beloved, it (the eye) is better blind; the beloved who is not everlasting is better afar (away and out of sight).”
When the ambassador of Rúm admitted these fresh (spiritual) words into his hearing (gave ear to them), he became more full of longing.
He fixed his eye on seeking ‘Umar, he let his baggage and horse be lost.
He was going in every direction after that man of (great) accomplishment, inquiring madly for him,
Saying, “Can there be in the world such a man, and he be hid, like the spirit, from the world?”
He sought him, that he might be as a slave to him: inevitably the seeker is a finder.
An Arab woman of the desert saw that he was a stranger-guest. “Look,” said she, “there is ‘Umar under that palm.
There he is under the palm-tree, apart from the people: behold the Shadow of God asleep in the shade!”
