Page 160 - The Book of Rumi

I Am God

ayazid of Bastam was a supreme Sufi master with many followers and
Bdevotees. He was famous for his seemingly mad utterances, which erupted
from him when he went into trance. Those who knew him well and loved him
unconditionally were familiar with his unusual states of mind and turned a
blind eye to his peculiarities, letting him exaggerate as much as he liked.
One fi ne spring day Bayazid was in the company of his favorite stu-
dents and felt exceptionally jolly, impatient to begin the sama. Often while
he whirled, he would experience highly charged states of mind, shrieking and
repeating words that were incomprehensible to the others present. That day,
his followers noticed that he was overexcited and that his actions were espe-
cially unusual. His mood was also somehow different from the other times
when he became engrossed in spiritual rituals; nevertheless, they didn’t allow
themselves to become concerned.
The sama started with the familiar sound of the reed, and before long
Bayazid went into his trance as he whirled. “I am God!” he began to shout.
“And there’s no other God but me!”
His devotees were flabbergasted, not knowing what to make of their mas-

ter; for this was the fi rst time they’d heard him uttering such unmistakably
blasphemous words. However, already accustomed to his frequently unusual
behavior, they didn’t think too much of it. The next morning, though, they
told Bayazid what he’d said the previous evening.
“If I ever utter those words again, you have my permission to stab me
repeatedly,” he ordered. “In fact, kill me on the spot!”
The murids took Bayazid’s words literally, and each decided to carry a
knife in his belt at all times, just in case. The following week, they all gathered
for yet another session of sama. Bayazid, as usual, became entirely overcome
with excitement and began to whirl speedily, forgetting his instructions to his
devotees of the week before. Soon he was in an exceptional trance and began
to repeat: “I am God, I am God.”
This time, his enthusiasm had no limits; the broad implications of his
words rose to another level. Round and round he whirled, loudly praying all

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