Reflecting on what is Yours

Our liege lord Jamāl al-Dīn al-Ghumūqī had two sons in the Russian empire whose rank was high. The news reached him that they had both died. Our liege lord the Shakykh called their mother and told her, “My lawful wife, if a human being gave you two jewels and placed them in trust with you then requested that they be returned, would you be deeply affected by giving them back to him?” She said, “No, I would have no right to be deeply affected or upset. Rather I would return them without any reserve.” He said to her, “The two boys that were entrusted to us, their owner took them back. But receive glad tidings that He took them back both with hearts most pure,” i.e. in a state of belief, although they were with the Russian empire. And there is a secret here. We are wrong to look at things and say, “this is ours.” This is the common people’s way of looking, and that puts you under a burden. As for him that says, “this thing is a trust and now its owner has taken it back,” he will rest. The reverse will be light for him.

Translated from the Arabic by Shaykh Gibril Fouad Haddad ﵀