Lives and Sayings of Sufis - Assignment Example

Farid ad-Din Attars Memorial of Gods Friends: Lives and Sayings of Sufis Oveys of Qaran is regarded as the second generation of the Muslims. He was a camel herder in Yemen. He never grazed with others. He never came to the open and never interacted with other people. He never knew sorrow or laughter. He is exemplified as the hidden sun, the friend of the Merciful. His life was a wonderful life and he chose to serve the lord. He respected God and that is why the prophets describe him as the master of the world. For this reason, the prophet makes a revelation that on the day of resurrection; Oveys will make seventy thousand angels in his likeness. Oveys is respected for his fear of the lord. The author Attar says that Oveys will create seventy thousand people in his likeness and he will go to heaven and no one will be able to differentiate him from the ones he has created (Farid Al-Din Attar Pg 53). He will be protected from strangers by the lord just because he kept a good distance of respect to his lord. Oveys relationship with God is so close that it is revealed that during the day of resurrection the lord God will come from heaven and ask prophet Mohammad if he has seen Oveys. Mohammad will answer no and will be instructed to tell Oveys upon seeing him to pray to his people. This reveals his secrecy from the people of the world but also shows us his close relationship with God. No wonder the Prophet messenger of God says that the most loving of God’s friends are those who are pious in secret. He spent most of his time in the mountains and when Omar and Ali were sent to look for him they found him praying. It is his close proximity with God that maintained his good relationship with God. However, he never socialized with the people on land for he was a chosen one. God brought Oveys as a camel herder as a sign of humility and love for the people of Yemen and the whole world. Omar and Ali were soon able to realize that Oveys is an angel of God who was appointed as a camel herder. Hassan of Basra is known for his fear and respect of the Lord. He was named Hassan meaning he had a pretty face. He spent his time learning about prophecies. He was a major victor and was in the forefront for religious practices. He was born in the house of prophecies and one day he drunk water from the prophets jug (Farid Al-Din Attar Pg 63). When the prophet came back, he noticed that someone had drunk some water. Prophet Omm Salama prophesized and blessed Hassan of Basra. He told him that all the prophecies from the prophet will be revealed to Hassan of Basra. In addition to this, the prophet also prayed to him one day while he had visited him in his house. Hassan received most of his blessings not from God directly but from the people that were close to him and associated with him. For example, the lactating mother blessed him when he began to suckle and asked God to make Hassan one of His creatures. In addition to this, Hassan had the opportunity to meet more than 130 prophets. It is also worth noting that Hassan managed to see 70 of those prophets who fought in the Badr. He received a robe from Ali ebn Abi because he was one of his disciples. This was just a preparation for a mighty man. He got converted after seeing a revelation. He decided to seclude himself for 70 years. During this time he gave up everything in the world until he surpassed everything. For this reason all creatures needed knowledge from him but he needed nothing from the world. This is what led to his superiority. It is evident that those people who respect God will always maintain a very close proximity with God. This is what made Hassan a mighty man of God. Hassan’s conversion is the desire to be pure from the Lord and the prophecies of all the prophets and lady Rabea who breastfed him while he was a child is revealed. Rabe’a-ye Adaviya is considered as the deputy of Virgin Mary. She earns her praises for rasing Hassan of Basra. Hassan Basra respected her to an extent he will not do any prayer in her absence. For this reason, she has entered the ranks of mighty men. Her name signifies the fouth one and she indeed is the fourth daughter. During her birth, their family has neither lamp nor oil for lighting. He father had made a vow of not begging from any creature but that night it was different. He went to the neighbor and found the neighbor deep asleep (Farid Al-Din Attar Pg 97). He was so remorseful and the prophet of God told him in a vision that the girl would be a noble woman and she will certainly intercede for seventy thousands of many communities. Later in her life she became homeless after her parents died. She was taken captive by strangers and sold. Upon escaping she fell and broke her hand. Despite this she still told God that all she cared about was pleasing the Lord. God responded to her prayers and told her that the next day she will be favored. She took time and prayed and fasted. Rebea was so dedicated in serving God. She promised God that she will never stop pleasing Him. Her constant prayers one night gave her freedom as the master heard Rebea complaining about the time she went before the Lord. When her master heard of such close conversation with the lord, he freed Rebea. Whenever she encountered any problem she turned and complained to God. For example while she was in the desert and her only donkey died. Upon hearing this, God commanded the donkey to rise and Rebea embarked on her journey. She was a close friend of God and she asked God for blessings. Rebea’s proximity to God and the constant desire to serve God made her a mighty servant. In conclusion, it is evident that those who are close to God will always seek to serve Him and will maintain a close proximity with Him. On the other hand, God does not disappoint His children and has blessed all of them. Works Cited Farid Al-Din Attar. Farid ad-Din Attars Memorial of Gods Friends: Lives and Sayings of Sufis (Classics of Western Spirituality) . New York: Paulist Press, 2009. Read More