Sufism

8 Pages 2099 Words

ience as they fallow his commands through good and ill and submit to him, (Davis, p.126). One of Attar’s birds complains of sinfulness and his unclean soul. The hoopoe reminds him of God’s benevolence. “Seek mercy from Him… shame is what forces a sinner to repent,” (Davis, 87). God’s empathy is clearly stated in the story told of Gabriel and the unbeliever, as He even shows kindness to one who prays to an idol. God says, “He does not know our Way; mere ignorance has led this man astray,” (Davis, p. 89). God does not blame the ones who are not informed. However, those who know better are dealt with differently. The poverty of Ibrahim Adham explains what Trust in God really is. One passage reads, “ I said farewell to it, to all the earth, and put my trust in goods of proven worth. I know what value is; I praise His name,” (Davis, p.133). The hoopoe is explaining to a bird who burns with aspiration that if you just aspire you can attain anything that you yearn for beyond your furthest reach, however if you lack zeal you are left without anything. Rumi also refers to the Sufi notion of repentance and putting one’s trust in God in his poems. In The Man who Looked Back on his way to Hell, Rumi writes, “I had a great hope of Thy Loving –kindness. I turn again to that pure Grace,” (Rumi, p.56). “When he confesses his sins, God sait...