In a recent post, Hazrat Inayat gave an insight into the parable about the ten virgins, five of whom were ready with oil in their lamps when the bridegroom came, and five of whom were not prepared.  The symbol of marriage is often used in the context of mysticism, as it suggests union, fulfilment and happiness.

The parable speaks of the coming of the Messenger, the one who brings the call of the Divine, the ‘good news’ referred to in the word ‘gospel,’ and those who have oil in their lamps will welcome the honoured guest with light. The oil, Hazrat Inayat tells us, is love, and the light is wisdom, for it shows life clearly to us.  If our hearts are closed, without love, there can be no light, and we stumble in the darkness.  By extension, we can also see that anyone who claims to follow a Prophet or Teacher but who has no love in their heart will be wandering without understanding.

Another use of the metaphor of marriage has to do with our departure from this earth.  In the east, the moment when an evolved soul leaves the earth and returns to the Source is often called the ‘Urs’, a word which means ‘wedding’; the idea is that the soul goes to be united with the Divine Beloved. As this departure is an inevitable consequence of our having the temporary enjoyment of a name and form, we might think about how we will meet the inescapable moment of union, or re-union.  The parable of the Ten Virgins gives us useful guidance: do we have oil in our lamp?  Do we have love in our heart?  The moment of departure is, in one sense, a moment of darkness, as the light of the world, our customary source of illumination, fades away; if we have the light of wisdom, it will show us the way.  And if we have no love, then we must endure the darkness.  Therefore, to avoid the distress of a cold and lightless ‘lamp’ we say, in the prayer Khatum:
Open our hearts, that we may hear Thy Voice, which constantly cometh from within.