Discourses of Rumi

FIHI MA FIHI V 89appears sinful outwardly, in reality she is doingthe king’s work.The great saints have seen for themselves, notby proof and rote, but face to face and unveiled,that all people—good or evil—are obedient servantsof God. Nothing exists that does not proclaimGod’s praise. Therefore, to the saints, thisworld itself is the resurrection, since the resurrectionmeans all people serving God and doing noother work but God’s work. These saints perceivethis truth even here below, for even were the veilremoved they would not increase in their certainty.All may be servants, but some have been raisedabove others in their closeness to God. To thosewho are absorbed, all differences are lost. Tothose who have not yet arrived, many stagesappear between one and another.Let me cite a parallel. A gardener planted atree, and the tree bore fruit. Surely, this tree thatbore fruit is better than a hundred trees that arebarren. It is possible those other trees may neverbear at all, since there are many stages of growthwhere disease might attack. A pilgrim who reach-