The Third Piece, which is the Third Matter

[This matter consists of a private and particular answer to a general question   asked  by  most   of  my  brothers   through   the  tongue   of disposition, and by some of them verbally.]

Q u e s t i o n : You say to everyone who visits you: “Don’t await any saintly intervention  from  me  and  don’t  think  of my person  as  being  blessed.  I have  no spiritual rank. Like a common soldier may convey orders coming from the rank of field  marshal,  I convey  the  orders  of just  such  a rank.  And  like  a bankrupt  can advertise  the  precious  diamonds  of  a jeweller’s  shop,  I announce  the  wares  of a sacred, Qur’anic shop.” However, our hearts desire an effulgence  in the same way that our minds need knowledge, and our spirits seek a light, and so on; we want many things in many respects. We came to visit you supposing you to be the person who will  meet  our  needs.  What  we  need  is  a  saint,  someone  with  saintly  influence, someone of spiritual attainment, rather than a scholar. If the matter is really as you say, then perhaps we were wrong in visiting you? They ask this through the tongue of disposition.

T h e  A n s w e r : Listen to the following five points, then think about them and judge whether your visits are pointless or beneficial.

First Point

The common servant and wretched  soldier of a king gives some generals and pashas royal gifts and decorations in the king’s name, and makes them grateful. If the generals  and  pashas  ask: “Why are we demeaning  ourselves  before  this  common soldier  and  accepting  these  gifts  and  bounties  from  him?”,  it  will  be  arrogant foolishness. The soldier too, if, outside his duty, he does not stand up before the field marshal and recognize him as superior to himself, it will be stupid folly. If one of the grateful generals thankfully condescends to visit the soldier’s humble dwelling, the king, who sees and knows of the situation, will send dishes from the royal kitchen for his loyal servant’s eminent guest, so the soldier will not be ashamed at having nothing to offer but dry bread.