On Humility, Charity, Truth

 The Qur’an says three basic qualities have to be in the heart of the seeker: khushu, humility; karamat, charity, that is sharing, to experience the joy of giving; and, thirdly, sijd, truthfulness, which means authenticity. That is, recognising that which you are. These are the three pillars of Sufism. Humility means a man who has understood all the ways of the ego. And, by this understanding, the ego has disappeared. You have to be liquid, you have to melt; you cannot remain frozen in your ego. Charity is when you give and you feel obliged that the other has taken it; when you give with no idea that you are obliging anybody in any way; when you give because you have too much. It is not that the other needs. Charity is when you give out of your abundance. The flower has blossomed and the words spread the fragrance to the winds — what else can the flower do? The lamp has been lit and it shares its light, it spreads its light. The cloud is full of water and it showers — what else can it do? The third is truthfulness. It does not mean saying the truth, it means being the truth. Sijd means to be truthful, to be true. It is not only a question of policy. Whatsoever happens, whatsoever the result, not thinking of the result but just to be true, to risk all for truth — that’s what sijd is. It is to risk everything for truth — because if truth is saved, all is saved, and if truth is lost, all is lost.

Source: Economic Times, 19/08/2019