Intoxicated Sufi
An intoxicated Sufi is one that expresses their feelings openly without disregarding the social consequences in doing so. Bayazid was most famous for openly expressing himself. Unlike the sufi Junayd who was a sober sufi, meaning that he reserved his feelings within himself and not allowing for such expressions to be observed to the outside world. This was the acceptable comportment of a Sufi, however when Bayazid began to express himself openly, many shunned him. The people opposed to his openness accused Bayazid of being a heretic due to his bizarre sayings. Not only his sayings are controversial, but Bayazid also claimed to have traveled through the 7 heavens in his dream. This journey proclaimed by Bayazid is similar to the Mi'raj of the Prophet Muhammad (Sells, pg 213).
These sayings are some of Bayazid's famous sayings that caused him to be labeled as an intoxicated Sufi.
- "Glory be to me! How great is My majesty!"
- "Thy obedience to me is greater than my obedience to Thee"
- "I am the throne and the footstool"
- "By my life, my grasp is firmer than His"
- "I saw the Kaba walking round me"
- "Moses desired to see God; I do not desire to see God;He desires to see me"
Read more about this topic: Bayazid Bastami
Famous quotes containing the word intoxicated:
“Those who have been once intoxicated with power, and have derived any kind of emolument from it, even though but for one year, never can willingly abandon it. They may be distressed in the midst of all their power; but they will never look to anything but power for their relief.”
—Edmund Burke (1729–1797)