Sufi Quotes and Sayings

Sufi Quotes and Sayings

Bring all of yourself to his door:

bring only a part

and you've brought nothing at all. - Hakim Sanai

I am a bird of the heavenly garden

I belong not to the earthly sphere.

They have made for two or three days

A cage of my body. - Rumi 

O Beloved, there is no room left in my heart

For anything but You! - Hafiz

Sweep with your soul,

before your beloved's door.

Only then will you become her lover. - Baba Aziz

There are as many paths to God as there are souls on Earth. - Hadith

If I adore You out of fear of Hell, burn me in Hell!

If I adore you out of desire for Paradise,

Lock me out of Paradise.

But if I adore you for Yourself alone,

Do not deny to me Your eternal beauty.  - Rabia

Between me and You, there is only me.

Take away the me, so only You remain. - Hallaj

Give me ecstasy, give me naked wonder, O my Creator!

Give birth to the Beloved in me, and let this lover die.

Let a thousand wrangling desires become one Love. - Rumi

Sufi Quotes

When the eye is pure

it sees purity. - Hakim Sanai

Green wood can be bent. But once it becomes dry, it can only be straightened by fire. - Saadi of Shiraz

Be grateful for whoever comes,

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond. - Rumi

I was starving until one night

My love tricked God Himself

To fall into my bowl. - Hafiz

I love God: I have no time left

In which to hate the devil. - Rabia

How will you ever know him,

as long as you are unable

to know yourself? - Hakim Sanai

With passion pray. 

With passion work. 

With passion make love.

With passion eat and drink and dance and play.

Why look like a dead fish

in this ocean of God? - Rumi

From Him forgiveness comes so fast,

it reaches us before repentance

has even taken shape on our lips. - Hakim Sanai

One who has vanity and conceit in his head. 

Imagine not that he will ever hear the truth - Saadi of Shiraz

Join me in the pure atmosphere of gratitude

For life. - Hafiz

Your hope in my heart is the rarest treasure

Your Name on my tongue is the sweetest word. - Rabia

He is no tyrant:

for everything he takes,

he gives back seventy-fold;

and if he closes one door

he opens ten others for you. - Hakim Sanai

It is the rule with drunkards to fall upon each other,

to quarrel, become violent, and make a scene.

The lover is even worse than a drunkard.

I will tell you what love is: to enter a mine of gold.

And what is that gold?

The lover is a king above all kings,

unafraid of death, not at all interested in a golden crown. - Rumi

In His presence, silence is the gift of tongues. - Hakim Sanai

One who gives advice to heedlessness is himself in need of an advice. - Saadi of Shiraz

Worship him as if you could see him with your physical eyes;

though you don't see him,

he sees you. - Hakim Sanai

Jealousy 

And most all of your sufferings

Are from believing

You know better than God. - Hafiz

Happy are those who find fault with themselves instead of finding fault with others. - Muhammad (Essential Sufism)

Ten devishes can sleep beneath one blanket.

Two kings cannot rein in one kingdom - Saadi of Shiraz

He introduced himself to us

out of kindness: how else

could we have known him?

Reason took us as far as the door;

but it was his presence that let us in. - Hakim Sanai

When my Beloved appears,

With what eye do I see Him?

With His eye, not with mine,

For none sees Him except Himself. - Ibn Arabi

We tried reasoning

our way to Him:

it did not work;

but the moment we gave up,

no obstacle remained. - Hakim Sanai

If a gem falls into mud, it will still remain valuable.

And if the dust descends to heaven, it will still of no value. - Saadi of Shiraz

Your task is not to seek for love, 

but merely to seek and find

all the barriers within yourself 

that you have built against it. - Rumi

No one can keep us from carrying God

Wherever we go. - Hafiz

Within this earthen vessel are bowers and groves, and within it

is the Creator: Within this vessel are the seven oceans and the unnumbered stars.

The touchstone and the jewel-appraiser are within;

And within this vessel the Eternal soundeth, and the spring wells

up. Kabîr says: "Listen to me, my Friend! My beloved Lord is within." -  Kabir

 Bullah has fallen in love with the Lord.

He has given his life and body as earnest.

His Lord and Master is Shah Inayat

who has captivated his heart. - Bulle Shah

In this world you never stand by your own strength;

It is the Invisible that sustains you every moment. - Sa'adi

Deep in the sea there are riches beyond your imagination. 

But if you seek safety, that is at the shore. - Saadi of Shiraz

Where do you think you will Be

When God reveals Himself

Inside of you? - Hafiz

He treasures you more

than you do yourself.

Rise, have done with fairy tales;

leave your base passions,

and come to me. - Hakim Sanai

Melt yourself down in his search:

venture your life and your soul

in the path of sincerity;

strive to pass from nothingness to being,

and make yourself drunk with the wine of God. - Hakim Sanai

A donkey with a load of holy books is still a donkey. - Traditional (Essential Sufism)

No one throws stones at the barren tree. - Saadi of Shiraz

Love is the cure,

for your pain will keep giving birth to more pain

until your eyes constantly exhale love

as effortlessly as your body yields its scent. - Rumi