The following is an excerpt from a letter sent by the Sufi master Ibn ‘Abbad (1332-1390) to a friend. For more about Ibn ‘Abbad, see this earlier post. There is no doubt that when Ibn ‘Abbad speaks here of religion he is thinking of Islam, for that is what he and his culture knew, but we can also keep in mind the teaching of Hazrat Inayat Khan that despite the appearance of different forms such as Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and others, religion itself is one. In The Alchemy of Happiness, From Limitation to Perfection (1) he says: “Difference in worship does not make a different religion. Religion is one and the same in spite of a thousand different kinds of worship. “

The signs and traces of religion have been virtually effaced on our day. Zealous adherents of the religion are no more. People founder in the swell of this world, hearts languish; all sense of shame has departed. … Masses are lost in the wastelands of ignorance and corruption; gone are the truly learned, and those possessed of certitude have vanished. … Truth is covered over with falsehood, while every mindless braggart and ignorant fool lays claim to learning and intimate knowledge of the Truth!

Look to see whether in our time any solidly grounded person remains, in whose heart there is light and whose attitude is pure and clear … and whose intention remains untainted even amid this welter of misfortunes.

Every seeker must have a spiritual advisor with sound intellect and intuition if he is to examine all these matters with a mind that is free of tendentiousness and deviation. In that way, the seeker can arrive at perfect understanding. With guidance and success from his Lord, he will keep to the high road of the Path.