‘Arif walks to the bus at sunset. He sees a vast flock of starlings moving as one body in the sky. He recites softly in Persian:  بر پرم همچون طيور الصافات I soar up like the birds which spread their wings. The bus is overcrowded. A woman hears the ringtone of her smartphone. She cannot reach it without jabbing her elbows into the limbs of those around her. They sigh and roll their eyes. The woman tries to make amends by scattering apologetic smiles, which freeze on her face the moment she answers the call. “You need to breathe, my love,” are the first words she speaks—at once icily calm yet utterly alert. “We’ve been through this before, and it turned…

Let us begin with a meeting that occurred at the end and conclude with what transpired at the start. Just before sunset, a poor and gaunt man appeared at the door of a farmhouse, his prominent cheekbones visible above the beard of a traveling dervish. You would recognize him immediately, but it took a moment before the farmer said, “Welcome, Dervish ‘Abdullah!” “How are you, ‘Arif?” Dervish ‘Abdullah asked as they sat together. “You have a beautiful farmhouse. What has happened in the years since we last met?” ‘Arif explained that his professional life had flourished due to his keen eye for detail—something fairly common. More significantly, however, was his ability to perceive the bigger picture. He could discern emerging…

Dervish ’Abdullah is reading an email from John Lempière, the project manager of an orphanage in Jersey. John explains that the project has “successfully transformed the lives of many orphans in Jersey, except for a boy called Little John. He turned away from every helping hand and became an alcoholic. Thinking back on my meeting with you, in some way or other, a real rose, a rose with a thorn of its own [Little John], manifested itself. The only element that is missing is the fire…”. Dervish ’Abdullah closes the computer. His thoughts about John Lempière, who asked him years ago to retrieve a rose from a burning fire, come to a stop when he looks at a piece of…

In his khanegah, the Chishti dervish ‘Abdullah prayed to God that he would send him a murid. It grew dark when a knock came at the door. He opened it and a stranger entered. Dervish ‘Abdullah asked him to sit down. For some time, not a word passed between them. Dervish ‘Abdullah was the first who spoke: “Who are you, and what do you desire of me?” “My name is John Lemprière”, said the other. “I have made a long journey to come here. I wish to be your murid. I have brought you all I have.” He drew out a pouch and emptied it on the table. The coins were many. He offered them with his right hand. Dervish…

Dervish ‘Abdullah took a short walk with a certain turning point in view. But despite the intended goal of his walk, he accidentally took another route. When realizing that, he thought of returning but then decided that he could reach the turning point by using the path taken. His revised walk took him through a relatively unknown part of his village. This is why he noticed that people had attached a case of books at eye height next to the gate of their garden, intending that books could be taken away freely by anyone interested in them. One of these books contained the title The Philosopher’s Stone. The Sufis call this ‘stone’ the Perplexing Jewel, so he considered taking the book. Dervish ‘Abdullah decided against it…

Thratara, a young woman, approached the dervish ‘Abdullah and sought his interpretation of a dream that had intrigued her. This is what she recounted when ‘Abdullah kindly received her: “In my dream, I met an old woman seated beside a fruit tree. Astonishingly, she declared that her name bore a close resemblance to mine. Instead of telling her name, the old woman uttered, ‘Consult dervish ‘Abdullah to unravel the significance of this fruit-laden tree.’”  Dervish ‘Abdullah requested Thratara, “If you wouldn’t mind, then, please share more details about the tree. What was its hue?” Thratara responded to dervish ‘Abdullah’s question with much enthusiasm. “Its colour was distinct from monotonous shades of grey while lacking the stark duality of black and…

Before becoming a resident in a Sufi khanegah, dervish ‘Abdullah lived the life of a traveling dervish. He, for instance, worked for seven years in Rome as a provider of care to the elderly. This work was somewhat frustrating as it was difficult for him to adjust to the demands of the Italian culture. The elderly Mrs. Corrado was quite demanding. She didn’t like to be dependent on others. That’s why she insisted to be of service to her caretaker. She decided to teach Italian to dervish ‘Abdullah. Dervish ‘Abdullah, however, found it difficult to memorize the Italian words as taught by Mrs. Corrado. He talked about this situation with Maria Martinelli, who was the caretaker of Mrs. Elsas. Maria…