The Intellect And The Heart

THE INTELLECT AND THE HEART

Introduction
See chapter 3 under " The controversy of ‘Aql o Dil ‘

Translation
One day Intellect said to the heart
"A guide to the misguided ones I am

Being on the earth I reach up to the sky
Look, how deep in comprehension I am

Guidance on earth is my sole occupation
Like the auspicious Khizr ¹ in character I am

Interpreter of the book of life I am
The Manifestation of God's Glory I am

You are only a drop of blood, but
The invaluable ruby's envy I am"

Hearing this the heart said, "All this is true
But look at me as well, what I am

You understand the secrets of life
But seeing them with my own eyes I am

Concerned with the manifest order you are
And acquainted with the inward I am

Learning is from you, but Divine Knowledge is from me
You only seek Divinity, but showing Divinity I am

Restlessness is the end of Knowledge ²
But the remedy for that malady I am

You are the candle of the assembly of Truth
The lamp of the Divine Beauty's assemblage I am

You are related to time and space
The bird recognizing the Sidrah ³ I am

Look at the grandeur of my station
The throne of the God of Majesty I am

Explanatory Notes
1. This alludes to The Holy Qur’an 18:65. See Appendix I, No. 52 for Khizr.

2. As has been explained in Chapter 3 knowledge does not lead to the comprehension of the Essence of God. It only confuses the seeker between the different explanations offered by different scholars. On the other hand the heart guides one to the final goal c/f.

(159) B ‘Al in Lailah's camel's dust-cloud is lost
Rumi’s hand has got the curtain of her litter
(Appendix III No.24 )

(160) Do not seek the way through the trickster Intellect
Come to Love, as it has perfection in this one art
(Appendix III, No. 24.)

3. This is an allusion to Archangel Jibra’el for which see the Holy Qur’an 53:14. The Sidrah or the lote tree is Zizyphus spina-Christi of which the crown of thorns worn by S. Isa A.S. is believed to have been made. The wild Lote tree is thorny and gives sour fruit. In cultivation it yields good fruit and shade, and is symbolic of heavenly bliss, as is said in the above verses. The symbolism of the first verse is that the farthest Lote tree marks the bounds of the spiritual world's knowledge as revealed to Man, beyond which neither angels nor human beings can go, physically or in insight. However, man can know about the contents of the space beyond the "Sidratu ’l-Muntah" of the Holy Qur’an 56:28).