The Morals of Dervishes
STORY XLVII
I remember, being pious in my childhood, rising in the night, addicted to devotion and abstinence. One night I was sitting with my father, remaining awake and holding the beloved Qurân in my lap, whilst the people around us were asleep. I said: "Not one of these persons lifts up his head, or makes a genuflection. They are as fast asleep as if they were dead."
He replied: "Darling of thy father! Would that thou wert also asleep, rather than disparaging people."
- The pretender sees no one but himself,
- Because he has the veil of conceit in front;
- If he were endowed with a God-discerning eye,
- He would see that no one is weaker than himself.
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