Discourses of Rumi

discourse 35I am amazed by those who know the Koran byheart yet understand nothing of the spiritualstates of the Sufis. As the Koran states, “And donot obey every paltry asserter.”Look at the slanderers when they read this,they are exactly the ones who will say, “Do notlisten to So-and-so, no matter what they say, forthey will act the same way against you.”“Backbiter, going about with slander,Hinderer of good.”The Koran is a marvelous magician. It speaksclearly to the ears of the hinderers so that theyunderstand but are not one whit wiser. They don’teven catch an inkling of the Koran’s true delights.“God has set a seal…”How wonderfully gracious God is! It sets a sealon those who listen and do not understand, argueand yet learn nothing. God is gracious. Its wrathis gracious, and even Its lock is gracious. But Itslock is nothing next to Its unlocking, for the grace