# The Sufi explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ameen Rihani.

## What happens

The speaker describes a mystical experience where, in darkness, his soul encounters Allah and receives a vision of Love, Wealth, Power, Fame, and Ambition passing as a caravan. He then recalls a moment in a ruined temple where he saw Allah and stole a jasmine for his hungry soul.

## Themes in this chapter

### Spiritual Quest

The soul's journey in darkness toward Allah, culminating in a vision of Love and a stolen jasmine.

### Desire and Restraint

The contrast between worldly ambitions (Wealth, Power, Fame) and the soul's hunger for divine love.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown Narrator

The speaker who closes his eyes and experiences the caravan of life and love paying toll to his soul.

### Allah

The divine presence to whom the soul's toll is paid; appears in the glades with food of love.

### Beauty

A form of grace and beauty descried as Love, coming to pay toll to the soul.

## Key lines

> Lulled in the purple darkness is my soul, Behind the curtain, Allah, of my sight

My soul is peacefully resting in a deep, colored darkness, hidden from my physical sight, O Allah.

_Opening lines establishing the mystical, introspective state._

> A form of grace and beauty I descry. 'T is Love, O Allah, come to pay thy toll To my soul.

I see a graceful and beautiful figure; it is Love, coming to offer its tribute to my soul for You.

_The vision of Love as a divine offering._

> I saw thee, Allah, coming through the glades With food of love and from thy scrip I stole A jasmine for my hungry soul.

I saw You, Allah, walking through the forest clearings with the nourishment of love, and I took a jasmine flower from Your bag to feed my starving soul.

_Climactic moment of divine encounter and spiritual theft._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_2_se/chapters/the-sufi
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_2_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_2_se/chapters