This was originally posted on the Darvish blog. Thanks to Irving for letting me repost it
Salaam and Greetings of Peace:
This is a true story that happened many years ago. Mr. Niktab, the Shaykh of Shaykhs, was making his yearly trip to the US in order to visit the many khaniqahs, initiate new darvishes, and bring through his person the love of the Master, Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh of the Nimatullahi Sufi Order. At one khaniqah, he participated in the Sunday zekr (one of the twice weekly meetings during which the dervishes sit in a circle in a darkened room and meditate, sometimes silently, sometimes to music).
A few of the darvishes brought their children with them to meet and receive the blessings of the Shaykh, and they sat quietly in the next room with their sons and daughters. Upon this occasion, as the story is told, a three year-old boy was sitting with his mother behind the curtain that separates the tea room from the meeting room. The boy peeked through the curtain, then suddenly got up and ran into the zekr,. Before his mother could get up to fetch him, he came running back beside her.
“Why did you do that?” the mother whispered. “You know you aren’t supposed to go in until the meeting is over.”
“The lights!”
“What lights? What are you talking about?”
“How come the people have little lights coming out of their heads, but Mr. Niktab’s light goes all the way to the ceiling?” the boy asked.
The mother looked at her son in astonishment and quickly glanced through the curtain. She did not see the lights, but she hugged her son and kissed his cheek.
“Alhamdulillah!” she whispered, and praised God for the unclouded eyes of children.
Ya Haqq!
Thanks for reposting it, David
Blessings to you and your family.
Ya Haqq!