What is the Way to You?

Bayazid al-Bistami, also known as Abu Yazid Bistami or Tayfur Abu Yazid al-Bustami, (804 - 874 CE) is one of the greatest Sufi mystics. He is the founder of the ecstatic ("drunken") school of Sufism. Abu Saiid, another Sufi of ninth century, said: "The world is enraptured by Bayazid, and Bayazid sees nothing except the Divine". There is no written book left from Bayazid and we can just read about him and his words in retellings.

The voice of revelation echoes in my chest saying: my treasure box is filled with honest servitude and praiseworthy devotion. Offer Me what I do not have. And I say: I offer You my need, my longing and my broken heart.

I made four mistakes in my preliminary steps in this way: I thought that I remember Him and I know Him and I love Him and I seek Him, but when I reached Him I saw that His remembering of me preceded my remembrance of Him, and His knowledge of me preceded my knowledge of Him and His love towards me was more ancient than my love towards Him, and He sought me in order that I would begin to seek Him.

I want not to want except what He wants.

Allah! it is not strange that I love You because I am a weak servant, but it is strange that You love me when You are the King of Kings.

I came out of Bayazid-ness as a snake from its skin. Then I looked. I saw that lover, Beloved, and love are one because in that state of unification all can be one.

You will not be a mystic until you are like the earth-both the righteous and the sinner tread upon it-and until you are like the clouds-they shade all things-and until you are like the rain-it waters all things, whether it loves them or not.

I stood with the pious and I didn't find any progress with them. I stood with the warriors in the cause and I didn't find a single step of progress with them. I stood with those who pray excessively and those who fast excessively and I didn't make a footstep of progress. Then I said, "O Allah, what is the way to You?" and Allah said,

"Leave yourself and come".