Discourses of Rumi

FIHI MA FIHI V 135When you say, “In this present age words are ofno account,” you say this with words, do younot? If words are of no account, then why do wehear you say this with words?Someone asked: “When we do a good deed, ifwe have hopes and expectations of a good rewardfrom God, does that harm us?”Rumi answered: By God, we must always havehope. Faith, itself, consists of fear and hope.Someone once asked me, “Hope itself is good, butwhat is this fear?” I said, “Show me a fear withouthope, or a hope without fear. The two areinseparable.” For example, a farmer plantswheat. Naturally he hopes that wheat will grow.At the same time he is afraid some blight ordrought may destroy it. So, there is no hope withoutfear, or fear without hope.Now, when we hope expectantly for a reward,we will surely work with greater effort.Expectation becomes our wings, and the strongerour wings the farther the flight. If, on the otherhand we lose hope, we become lazy and of novalue to anyone. A sick person will take bittermedicine and give up ten sweet pleasures, but if