Rumi 11: “How long wilt thou cry, ‘O Allah’? Be quiet, fo

“How long wilt thou cry, ‘O Allah’? Be quiet, for thou wilt get

no answer.” The devotee hung his head in silence. After a little

while he had a vision of the prophet Khadir, who said to him, “Ah,

why hast thou ceased to call on God?” “Because the answer ‘Here am

I’ came not,” he replied. Khadir said, “God hath ordered me to go

to thee and say this:

“‘Was it not I that summoned thee to service?

Did not I make thee busy with My name?

Thy calling “Allah!” was My “Here am I,”

Thy yearning pain My messenger to thee.

Of all those tears and cries and supplications

I was the magnet, and I gave them wings.’”