For more about Rabia al Adawiyya (714? — 801 CE), see this post.

Fariduddin Attar relates that once three Sufis went to visit Rabia. The conversation turned to the question of sincerity. One of the Sufis said, “No one is sincere in his claim who is not patient under the blows of his master.”

Rabia said, “This talk stinks of egoism.”

A second Sufi said, “No one is sincere in his claim who is not grateful for the blows of his master.”

Rabia said, “We need something better than this.”

The third of the group said, “No one is sincere in his claim who does not delight in the blows of his master.”

Rabia said, “We need something better than this.”

They said, “Now you speak.”

Rabia said, “No one is sincere in his claim who does not forget the wound of the blow in the vision of his master. There’s nothing strange in this. The women of Egypt did not perceive the wound of the blow while they viewed Joseph, peace be upon him.* Why should it be strange if someone is like this while viewing the creator?”

*Rabia refers to this tale: When the women of Egypt came to visit Zuleikha, they questioned her as to why she was so deeply in love with her servant Joseph. She said, “I will show you,” and she gave each one of them a lemon and a knife, with the instructions that they must not cut the lemon until she told them. When Joseph came into the room, she told them to cut the lemon, and the women, fixed on his beauty, cut their fingers without noticing.