It was the tale of a Sufi saint from older times. He was married to an ordinary lady from among his people and they had kids too. The woman was not in much awe of his piety. She loathed the recognition and respect he received from people around him. She took him as an ordinary human being as herself. Saint wanted to show her his worth some day.
It happened so; one faqir (dervish) came to stay in their vicinity at a time. Talks about this new faqir reached the lady too. She wished to visit him and get his blessings. In the meantime, one day her husband asked her to prepare some delicious dishes of meat and bread for the faqir. When the dishes were prepared, Saint asked his wife to take the dishes to faqir herself. She was happy to go, but how could she walk across the river because the faqir was staying at opposite side, and there were no means to cross the river.
Saint suggested “When you reach at the river, say “River.., the man who never touched a woman in his life asked me to take these dishes to the faqir beyond there, so keep aside””. The woman started, and she talked to river the very words her husband suggested her. No sooner, the river parted into two and made a path for her to go. She crossed the path very easily, and delivered dishes directly to the faqir.
Faqir pleasantly accepted her food and began to eat instantly. When he finished, the lady took her bowl and plates back and washed in the river. But the river was flowing affluently as before, and she couldn’t return home at all. She went to faqir again and complained to him “I came to you like this, now how can cross the river again and return home”. Faqir consoled her “Need not worry, just tell the river “One who never tasted the food is sending me back home, so part aside”. The lady did the very thing. Surprisingly, miracle happened once again, the river made a path for her back to home.
Once reached back at home, she was dumbstruck. She had kids in her husband, and how could he say, he never touched a woman in his life. Faqir gulped down some delicious dishes right in front of her, how could he say, he never tasted any food at all.
She put forth her question in front of her husband. Saint asked her to wait for a chance that she may get the answer herself. Meanwhile, somebody came to invite the lady for a wedding party fixed for the next day. The next day, saint set an oil lamp in the hands of his wife. He said “Go to the wedding, if at any time this lamp burned down, or fire went off, there happens our divorce”.
The lady prepared well and she took extra care to keep the fire alight while going through wedding party. When his wife came back in the evening, Saint could see the lamp was still burning in her hands. He admired her, and put forth some questions about the party. How was bride, her dress, its color, how was food, did you like it well, what dishes were served. She couldn’t answer even one of them. But she was sure; she participated in the party as best as she could.
This was the answer she got from her Master. We keep the lamp still burning inside. We do participate in our outside, but the fire inside has taken our all care off outside. I knew it can happen to me; keep the lamps afire inside your heart, still participating in the world with your outside physique.
Askar Mahboobi
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