Under the Weather

Am down with flu for few days now. Was lying on the bed most of the time and feeling bored......A story that never fail to cheer me up and makes me smile when I'm down with sickness.....


A visit to the sick Rabia al-Basri by three other great gnostics of the time, Hassan al-Basri, Shaqiq al-Balkh and Malik ibn Dinar illustrates my point. In offering solace to her current state, each of the saintly man gave words of comfort to Saint Rabia, but was rebuked by her for being insincere.

Hassan al-Basri said: “None is sincere in his claim to love Allah unless he patiently endures the tests from his Lord”
Shaqiq al-Balkh said: “None is sincere in his claim to love Allah unless he gives thanks for the tests from his Lord”
Malik ibn Dinar said: “None is sincere in his claim to love Allah unless he delights in the tests from his Lord”

All of which is comfort enough for us. But, to show the level of sincerity of her love, Saint Rabia instead offered them the following: “None is sincere in his claim to love Allah unless he forgets the pain from the tests of Allah”. This can only be achieved through one’s state of union with the Beloved – and this is acquired through sincere and deep love for his Lord.