Mahmud Shabistari was a 13th-century Persian Sufi poet celebrated for his masterpiece “Gulshan-i Raz” (The Rose Garden of Secrets). Born in Persia, Shabistari’s profound work delves into Sufi philosophy through the medium of mystical poetry, particularly ghazals. “Gulshan-i Raz” explores themes such as the nature of reality, the importance of love in spiritual evolution, and the concept of divine unity. Despite limited biographical details, Shabistari’s poetry remains highly regarded for its beauty, depth, and spiritual wisdom. His writings have significantly influenced Sufi thought and literature, captivating readers across generations and cultures. Shabistari’s enduring legacy continues through the continued study, translation, and appreciation of his poetic works, which serve as timeless sources of inspiration for those interested in Sufism and Persian literature.
Mahmood Shabistari Quotes
01. “God is responsible for every human deed, for He is the only Existent Being. The world is merely an appearance or a deception, and man as such is a non-entity.”
— Mahmood Shabistari
02. “The manifestation of the Divine Glory sometimes comes through Beauty and at another time through Majesty.”
— Mahmood Shabistari
03. “The tavern is the place where the bird of the spirit makes its nest, it is the sanctuary of God Himself.”
— Mahmood Shabistari
04. “To become a hunter of a tavern is to be set free from self: egotism is infidelity, even though one seems to be devout. The tavern belongs to the world beyond compare, the abode of lovers, who fear nothing.”
— Mahmood Shabistari
05. “Perfection is reached when the soul experiences the state of ‘Baqaa’. Here the Sufi is named ‘Perfect Man’ because he abides in the world of Divinity and is absolutely one with God.”
— Mahmood Shabistari
06. “You go, sweep out the dwelling-room of your heart, prepare it to be the abode and home of the Beloved. When you go out, He will come in within you, when you are free from self, He will show His Beauty.”
— Mahmood Shabistari
07. “He who is aware of his own origin is a traveler on the road to God and passes on speedily. He becomes pure from self as flame from smoke.”
— Mahmood Shabistari
08. “Under the veil of each particle is concealed the soul-refreshing beauty of the Face of the Beloved.”
— Mahmood Shabistari
09. “Divine unity is like a sea; look and see how a drop from that ocean has found so many forms and has been given so many names, mist and water and rain and dew and clay, plant, animal, and finally man in his perfection. All come from one drop.”
— Mahmood Shabistari
10. “The Perfect Man comes to the world of humanity to serve it after having realized perfect identity with God. He is called Prophet. When he reveals his spiritual perfection to mankind he is named Sufi. But the mission of both is to serve humanity.”
— Mahmood Shabistari
11. “GO YOU, SWEEP OUT THE DWELLING ROOM OF YOUR HEART, PREPARE IT TO BE THE HOME OF THE BELOVED. WHEN YOU GO OUT, HE WILL COME IN. WITHIN YOU, WHEN YOU ARE FREE FROM SELF, HE WILL SHOW HIS BEAUTY.”
— Mahmood Shabistari
12. “In God there is no duality. In His Presence ‘I’ and ‘We’ and ‘You’ do not exist. They all become one.”
— Mahmood Shabistari
13. “On the road of mystical journey, repentance is the first stage. Poverty and love are the other important stages as they lead to the purity of soul and the feeling of oneness with God. The last station on the Path is ‘Fanaa’ which implies the soul’s absorption in God.”
— Mahmood Shabistari
14. “I and you are but the lattices, in the niches of a lamp, through which the one light shines, I and you are the veil, between heaven and earth; lift this veil and you will see, no longer the bonds of sects and creeds.”
— Mahmood Shabistari
