The divine commands came as a resonance, and then that resonance became words. And then those words were said sometimes through the mouths of Prophets. And then those words were written down by scribes. And then they became scriptures. And then people read them.
When I first met my teacher, he said, “Stop reading books, even mine.” The academic world and the religious world is based on reading and talking about what’s being read. It’s based on an incredible flow of words and an attempt to interpret words. This attempt to interpret words is the work of the intellect. The intellect is this supreme critic that spends its time figuring everything out and explaining it. However, it explains it in words.
Imagine if you can that the way you explain the meanings of the scriptures was not with words but with love. Imagine if you explained the meaning of the scriptures with emotions as opposed to words. Imagine if you explained the meaning of the scriptures with the way that you were.
When Ayesha (Rad.) was asked if she could explain the nature of the Prophet, may peace and blessings be upon him, she said, “He was a walking Quran.” He was the embodiment of the words in flesh and in action. So, there comes a time when words no longer have any impact, no longer have any meaning, no longer have their sway to bring you to another place.
Sufism is about states and stations. Station being a temporary place that you come to because of Allah’s grace and a state being a permanent place that you come to by way of grace. Now, without coming to these places, all the words in the world aren’t doing you any good. So, what are these stations and states? What are these places that you come to? What is the true understanding of what all these words mean, what all these words say, the purpose of all these words?
