Why hast thou sent my servant away? - Part 1 of 2
November 19, 2015
A voice came from Allaah to Muusaa,
“Why hast thou sent my servant away?
Thou hast come to draw humans to union with me,
Not to drive them far away from me.
So far as possible, engage not in dissevering;
‘The thing most repugnant to me is divorce, separation.’
To each person have I allotted peculiar forms,
To each have I given particular usages.
What is praiseworthy in thee is blameable in him,
What is poison for thee is honey for him....”
(adapted from Masnavi i Ma’navi,
translated by E.H. Whinfield, p. 122)
* * *
The prophet Muusaa (a.s.), also known as Moses, is one of the most cherished prophets in Islam. One of his titles is al-Kaliimullaah, which can be translated as ‘the one who talks with Allaah.’ The Beloved would regularly descend in a cloud to earth and speak directly with Muusaa, whereas Muhammad usually received messages from the Beloved via the angel Jibriil. Muusaa is also a central figure in many key stories and occurrences in Islam: he is the prophet mentioned most by name in the Qur’aan. The story of him leading the Israelites from Egypt is repeated a few times therein, and is regarded as one of the most important stories, filled with lessons and layers of messages. In particular for Sufis, Muusaa is a central character in one of the most mystical yet controversial stories in the Qur’aan: his brief stint as a student of the prophet Khidr.
Given this rich history, when a story involves Muusaa, many Muslims will pay great attention. It is within this context that Jalaal ud-Diin Rumi’s tale of Muusaa and The Shepherd is held in high esteem. There are many (deeper) levels to this story, particularly for serious spiritual seekers who reflect personally on the messages within it. This blog post is not able to address all these, but perhaps it can serve as an introduction to those who wish to go deeper.
I’ll share a version of the story I received via oral transmission, which offers a few more details than the written translations I’ve encountered. This will lead into Jalaal ud-Diin Rumi’s poetic commentary, the beginning of which is the excerpt that opens this post.
One day, Muusaa was walking along a path and heard a voice in prayer saying, “Oh Most High, oh Beloved, show me where You are that I may come and serve your needs. I will clean your dirty feet and mend your splintered hooves. I will comb your locking hair and oil it so that it flows freely and shines. Oh Lord, I will wash you from head to toe and pick the lice and fleas from your skin. I will fetch thee milk and water, and treats if you wish. All your Majesty will have to do is sit. I will kiss your head and rub your tiny little feet. And when dusk settles, I will prepare your bed with fresh straw, sweep away the dust and rocks to make it nice and neat. For you alone, oh Lord, I will sacrifice all of my goats, thinking only of you, singing praises, offering endless prayers and service.”
Upon hearing these words, Muusaa became disturbed. He interrupted the shepherd to say, “What are you doing and to whom are you speaking!”
The shepherd replied, “I am praying to the Lord of All, who gave me birth and sustains my life.”
Muusaa replied, “Will you fuel your own flames in Hell! You blaspheme the Beloved to pray to It as if It is a goat. This is the Most High, who provides all needs and needs nothing from anyone -- let alone an illiterate shepherd who has not the humility and decency to learn the proper way of praying. Even the devils are pointing their fingers at you; and the angels, they cover their noses from the stench of this sin. Hold your tongue lest the earth swallow you now into the pits of Hell. You are an ignorant fool who should cut off your own head. I repent for just witnessing your evil, and tear my own robe for your shame!”
The shepherd was overwhelmed with despair. He tore his robe and ran into the desert, wailing tears of remorse. Muusaa took a moment to straighten his torn robe, knowing he was harsh. But he felt this was necessary to prevent the shepherd from committing such a vile atrocity ever again. And who would question the wisdom of a prophet?
But then a voice from the heavens spoke, a familiar voice that Muusaa heard when that cloud would descend from the heavens and speak directly to Its prophet.
A voice came from Allaah to Muusaa,
“Why hast thou sent my servant away?
Thou hast come to draw humans to union with me,
Not to drive them far away from me....”