بخش 113 - حکایت شیخ محمد سررزی غزنوی قدس الله سره

In Ghazna there was an ascetic, abounding in knowledge (of divinity): his name was Muhammad and his title Sar-razí.

Every night he would break his fast with vine-tendrils (sar-i raz): during seven years he was continually (engaged) in one quest.

He experienced many marvellous things from the King of existence, but his object was (to behold) the beauty of the King.

That man who was surfeited with himself went to the top of a mountain and said, “Appear, or I will fall (throw myself) to the bottom.”

He (God) said, “The time for that favour is not (yet) come, and if thou fall down, thou wilt not die: I will not kill thee.”

He, from love (of God), threw himself down: he fell into the depths of a (piece of) water.

When he (found that he) was not dead, on account of the shock (of disappointment) that man who was sick of life made lament over himself for having been parted from death;

For this (present) life seemed to him like a (state of) death: in his view the thing had become reversed.

He was begging death (as a gift) from the Unseen, he was crying, “Verily, my life is in my death.”

He had embraced death as (other people embrace) life, he had become in full accord with the destruction of his life.

As (with) ‘Alí, the sword and dagger were his sweet basil, the narcissus and eglantine were his soul's enemies.

A Voice came (to his ear), “Go from the desert to the city”— a wondrous Voice transcending the occult and the manifest.

He cried, “O Thou that knowest my secret, hair by hair, tell me, what service am I to do in the city?”

It (the Voice) said, “The service is this, that for the purpose of self abasement thou shouldst make thyself (like) ‘Abbás (the seller) of date-syrup.

For a while take money from the rich and then deliver it to the lowly poor.

This is the service thou must do for some time.” He replied, “To hear is to obey, O Thou who art my soul's refuge.”

Many questions and answers and much conversation passed between the ascetic and the Lord of mankind,

Whereby earth and heaven were filled with (spiritual) light: all that is recorded in the Maqálát;

But I will cut short that dialogue, in order that every worthless person may not hear (such) mysteries.