Friday, March 20, 2009

Riches beyond compare

...it is related that on a certain day, one of the companions of Sádiq complained of his poverty before him. Whereupon, Sádiq*, that immortal beauty, made reply: “Verily thou art rich, and hast drunk the draught of wealth.” That poverty-stricken soul was perplexed at the words uttered by that luminous countenance, and said: “Where are my riches, I who stand in need of a single coin?” Sádiq thereupon observed: “Dost thou not possess our love?” He replied: “Yea, I possess it, O thou scion of the Prophet of God!” And Sádiq asked him saying: “Exchangest thou this love for one thousand dinars?” He answered: “Nay, never will I exchange it, though the world and all that is therein be given me!” Then Sádiq remarked: “How can he who possesses such a treasure be called poor?”

-- Baha'u'llah, Book of Certitude

* Sádiq was the sixth of the Shi'ih Imams, known also as Abu-'Abdi'llah

1 comment:

Amrithaa said...

this is beautiful! :) reminds me of the quote vida always uses on man being a mine of inestimable gems and virtues being those gems :)