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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

The Servant and the Scale

The Servant & the Divine Scale



One night in the fastness of a dream, a servant of the Lord contrived to enter the Lord’s Court and found himself standing in front of the Divine Scale. He grabbed hold of the holy appliance, muttering – “O’ thee of perfect balance and judgment. I will put you to a better use than what you are being used for now!” He huffed and puffed, carrying the Divine Scale, “I am going to use you as a wedge to keep the Lord’s Door of Mercy open for humanity. That’s what I am going to do with you!” The Scale was saying something in reply, but the man merely retorted, “Speak not to me your arguments! My will is made.”

Lugging the protesting Scale on his back, this man made his way up, then up and then up further still until he reached the furthest edge of his understanding. And there finally, before his eyes he saw the Door of God’s Mercy. But surprisingly the Door was already being kept wide open. He looked up and saw that a hand was holding the door ajar. Then he saw the face of the person to whom the hand belongs, and he blurted amazed, “Prophet of God,…you are here?”

To which, Muhammad Habibullah replied, “Where else would I be?”

The Divine Scale then gently tapped him on his shoulders and said in a tone of mild rebuke, “That is what I have been trying to tell you all this while, mortal.”



Chapter 21 Verse 107 - And we did not send you (o’ Muhammad) except as a mercy to the worlds. (wa maa arsalnaaka il-laa raHmatal lil 'AAlamiyn)


I have read and heard many Sufi tales of the Prophet and the Scale. This isn’t one of them. I know I am knocking my head against the wall of hubris of both Muslims and Non-muslims - of those who are using their idea of Muhammad to propagate their hateful worldview and those who are reacting to this false representation of the Prophet. As a sinner, I am saddened by these believers, who are so busy alienating others and monopolizing God and heaven just for themselves. If this is how believers behave, then really, I don't want to be a believer in their eyes. I just want to be sinner, knocking on Mercy's door...

Have a nice merciful day, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa.

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