The Eyes Were Made to See You
Eyes behold the speck of dust, the towering mountains, the towns and the wastelands, the moon and the stars, the dazzling radiance of the sun – yet they find no contentment, nor is their wonder ever exhausted. The heavens are a relentless adversary, the earth is the dwelling place of strangers, the whole world is but scattered dust. O Originator of the heavens and the earth! O Maker of the moon and the sun! The gaze seeks You in every direction. There is no true tranquillity in anything existent or non-existent, in anything witnessed or absent. It searches for a sight beyond every sight. These eyes were created for the vision of You alone, and they have been opened solely to behold You.
Why should any breeze of the garden bear pride? How can a manicured garden remedy the bewilderment of the eye? The garden itself appears a wanderer. True, the colours of diverse flowers increase its beauty, and their fragrances perfume the air – but it is equally true that if they do not behold You, they wither away. Buds weep, weeping until they lose their sight; and the falling leaves of trees narrate tales of pain.
Who will enquire about our grief-stricken state? The drenched monsoons, the radiant nights – these are nothing; what are they but tales of decline and continual decline, of nothingness, indeed of nothingness within nothingness. If You are not there, then all is false – whether darkness or light. Yes, the description of Your attributes surpasses every enquiry; the praise of You is the balm for the wounds of the heart. In the sight of Your signs is a wondrous delight, for they lead to You. In these remote habitations, it is only Your remembrance that binds us, and we extinguish the lamps of moon and stars to light the candles of our tears.
Cities and villages are without light; the verdant, joyous valleys of the mountains are without joy. Meadows, rivers, and the shade of trees are mere toys of this base world. The smile-scattering glitter of modern civilisation is but a dark, admonitory fable. No friend is truly a friend, no companion truly a companion. Without You, life is weary; the colours of love are fearful. The beauty of Europe’s alluring charm is nothing but an interpretation of gloom. Its streets are alien, its flower-strewn paths are valleys of thorns; whirlwinds swirl through its dwellings, and in the eyes of people of truth its thresholds are but desolate ruins.
Alas! Necklaces of sorrow-laden songs do not suit us. No melody pleases the song-seeking heart. Listen to my tale of pain: if You were to listen, then we would never tire of telling it. Our tears would never cease; waves of intoxication would surge in our hearts, and the entire atmosphere would become steeped in ecstasy.
We seek Your letter in the wings of the inaccessible ‘anqāʾ; flowers become withered in awaiting a message. Alas for the deprivation of fortune and the ill-starred decree! Fortunate indeed is the believing servant to whom You have given Your Book – that radiant Book whose light is drawn from Your light, whose attribute is the very attribute of Your manifestation. When the mountain of Ṭūr could not bear it, it was shattered to pieces, and Mūsā fell unconscious. If the beams of Your Book’s light were to fall upon mountains, they would be crushed to dust. In this whole cosmos, the only one who is truly brave and steadfast is the believing man who carries Your trust. Every letter of Your message is the comfort of his heart – and why should it not be? For from pre-eternity his soul had been longing in expectation for it.
You know that no gaze rests upon any other than You. Lift the veil of manifestation; do not avert the glance of affection; do not hand us over to others. Dependence upon other than You is a burden and a disgrace to the shoulders of resolve. When You are attained, the bud of the heart blossoms, the tear in the heart is sewn; and when we behold You, never shall we return to this world again.
You say that You will grant both worlds to those who love You – but tell me, what need has one who has attained You for both worlds? After Your unveiling, will the eyes ever desire any other sight?
Disclaimer: This article was translated by AI. Original post: https://t.me/DrAkramNadwi/6732
