Early morning. My thoughts are interrupted by a dog barking. Then Bibi Alawi walks into my room, dazed, just up from her bed. My desire for her kindles. It occurs to me that all this is grace. The barking interruption, and Bibi Alawi too. Why be ashamed of feeling desire?
A revelation comes: My work is to elevate as well as humiliate. One moment I make someone dear to you; another despised. So when you feel anxiety, remember God, because the anxiety comes from there. If you feel pain over what is happening to you, pray that it be taken away. If you are delighted and those around you are prospering, ask that this keep happening. However, if your soul is conscious enough to live as I have just said, you are the next prophet.
— Bahauddin , The Drowned Book by Coleman Barks, John Moyne