Sufi Tale

[Unveiled Artist]

A Sufi master was visited by a perplexed Seeker-after-Truth, who said to him:

'I have only one question to ask. Why is it that, wherever I go, I always seemed to get different pieces of advice from Sufis?'

The master answered:

'Come with me for a walk through this town, and we shall see what we can discover about this mystery.'

They went into the market - place, and the Sufi asked a greengrocer:

'Tell me, what time of prayer is it?'

The greengrocer said:

'The time for the morning prayer.'

They continued their walk. After some time the

Sufi asked a tailor:

'What prayer-time is it?'

The tailor answered:

'It is the time of the midday prayer.'

After spending more time in conversation and companionship with the Seeker, the Sufi approached another man, this time a bookbinder.

He asked him:

'What time of prayer is it?'

The man replied:

'It is now the time of the afternoon prayer.'

The Sufi turned to his companion and said:

'Do you want to continue the experiment, or are you now satisfied that virtually the same question can elicit almost totally different answers, all of them corresponding to the current truth?

 

[sun rise]

Not a traditional tale, but I like it:

Shopkeeper: Come, come. You know what they say: an ounce of Sufism now will have been worth more than a pound of regret later.

Customer: Well, I dunno. It looks a little old. Frayed around the edges, if you must know.

Shopkeeper: It ages like good wine.

Customer: (Shakes the package of Sufism, causing little bits to drop off) You sure this will run on 110 volts AC?

Shopkeeper: Generates its own power too.

Customer: (Doubtful) This isn't the American model. I thought they had an American model.

Shopkeeper: Oh, the American stuff...(digs around behind counter)...here. (Offers package with fluorescent purple and green day-glo stripes, picture of a turbaned, bearded man with wild eyes and lightning bolts coming out of his fingers).

Customer: That's what I had in mind.

Shopkeeper: (Picks up customer and places him with hands around the package) Ah, but it bought you first.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Not a traditional tale, but I like it:

Shopkeeper: Come, come. You know what they say: an ounce of Sufism now will have been worth more than a pound of regret later.

Customer: Well, I dunno. It looks a little old. Frayed around the edges, if you must know.

Shopkeeper: It ages like good wine.

Customer: (Shakes the package of Sufism, causing little bits to drop off) You sure this will run on 110 volts AC?

Shopkeeper: Generates its own power too.

Customer: (Doubtful) This isn't the American model. I thought they had an American model.

Shopkeeper: Oh, the American stuff...(digs around behind counter)...here. (Offers package with fluorescent purple and green day-glo stripes, picture of a turbaned, bearded man with wild eyes and lightning bolts coming out of his fingers).

Customer: That's what I had in mind.

Shopkeeper: (Picks up customer and places him with hands around the package) Ah, but it bought you first.

I like that. Had to read it a couple of times.