The Kashf al-mahjúb: The oldest Persian treatise on SúfiismHujviri, ‘Ali ibn ‘Usman
Islamic
The Kashf al-mahjúb: The oldest Persian treatise on Súfiism
Hujviri, ‘Ali ibn ‘Usman
Sufism -- Early works to 1800
I heard an old man relate that one day he went to the place where
al-Daqqáq held his meetings, with the intention of asking him about the
state of those who trust in God (_mutawakkilán_). Al-Daqqáq was wearing
a fine turban manufactured in Ṭabaristán, which the old man coveted. He
said to al-Daqqáq: “What is trust in God?” The Shaykh replied: “To
refrain from coveting people’s turbans.” With these words he flung his
turban in front of the questioner.
3. ABU ´L-ḤASAN `ALÍ B. AḤMAD AL-KHURQÁNÍ.
He was a great Shaykh and was praised by all the Saints in his time.
Shaykh Abú Sa`íd visited him, and they conversed with each other on
every topic. When he was about to take leave he said to al-Khurqání: “I
choose you to be my successor.” I have heard from Ḥasan Mu´addib, who
was the servant of Abú Sa`íd, that when Abú Sa`íd came into the presence
of al-Khurqání, he did not speak another word, but listened and only
spoke by way of answering what was said by the latter. Ḥasan asked him
why he had been so silent. He replied: “One interpreter is enough for
one theme.” And I heard the Master, Abu ´l-Qásim Qushayrí, say: “When I
came to Khurqán, my eloquence departed and I no longer had any power to
express myself, on account of the veneration with which that spiritual
director inspired me; and I thought that I had been deposed from my own
saintship.”
It is related that he said: “There are two ways, one wrong and one
right. The wrong way is Man’s way to God, and the right way is God’s way
to Man. Whoever says he has attained to God has not attained; but when
anyone says that he has been made to attain to God, know that he has
really attained.” It is not a question of attaining or not attaining,
and of salvation or non-salvation, but one of being _caused_ to attain
or not to attain, and of being _given_ salvation or being not given
salvation.
4. ABÚ `ABDALLÁH MUḤAMMAD B. `ALÍ, GENERALLY KNOWN AS AL-DÁSTÁNÍ.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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