Page 138 - The Book of Rumi

Praying Only for Sinners

n a remote town in Persia, there once lived a kind and respected holy man
Iwho was adored by everyone. However, there was a problem with him! He
only prayed for criminals, murderers, and other sinners, beseeching:

Oh God, the Benevolent!
I implore You to never stop bestowing
Your boundless compassion
Upon the poor sinners of this world!

In his sermons, he almost never had kind words for those who were
renowned for their charitable acts and had helped the poor and needy all their
lives. One day, a group who attended his services regularly began to reproach
him, telling him that his manner of prayer was uncommon and unappreciated
by most of those present. The preacher responded to their complaint quite
simply:
“Throughout my life, I’ve been the inadvertent recipient of many bless-
ings because of the crimes committed by these unruly men. By the sheer evil
of their actions, they’ve shown me right from wrong. Every single time I’ve
turned my attention to worldly affairs, I’ve been witness to their immense
cruelty; thus, I sought refuge in our Creator. Consequently, their evil actions
have guided me to the greater good. It is imperative for me to pray for their
salvation!”
People are forever complaining to God about their pains and the unfair-
ness they experience in their lives. Meanwhile, God invariably tells His wailing
subjects that it’s that very same pain that will eventually lead them to His
door. Our friends are indeed our worst enemies, for they remove us from His
company by distracting us with the minutia of their own personal affairs.
Truly, every enemy can be our cure and balm, for in order to avoid them we
must seek the help of the One who has created us all.

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