Personalities of Hazrat Isa and Hazrat Yahya: Sufi Story by Rumi

Personalities of Hazrat Isa and Hazrat Yahya – From Maulana Rumi’s Fihi Ma Fihi

In Fihi Ma Fihi by Maulana Rumi, Maulana narrate a story that personalities of Hazrat Isa A.S.  [Jesus] and Hazrat Yahya A.S. [John the Baptist] were quite different. Hazrat Isa was cheerful by nature whereas Hazrat Yahya wept a lot for Allah’s mercy and repentence.

Once day Hazrat Yahya asked Hazrat Isa if he has forgotten about Allah’s absolute decree and fallacy of human being that he is remains cheerful?

Hazrat Isa replied whether Hazrat Yahya has forgotten about Allah’s infinite mercy and blessings, that he is always weeping and begging his repentance?

Listening to this story, a Sufi asked Rumi which among Hazrat Isa and Hazrat Yahya is greater in station [i.e. whether cheerful or repentance is netter in eyes of Allah].

Maulana Rumi replied that Allah has already clarified this in His words “With every being, I have a face and a perception and whatever being imagines as God, I am that Being”.

What is key is that creation keep their perceptions and thoughts about Allah glorious and clean.

The story’s basically narrates that Allah’s being is too great to be comprehended by any creation. Hence, every creation perceives His being by their own limited capacity. Both Hazrat Isa and Hazrat Yahya were correct in their perception and relation with Allah, as both admired his grandeur [as The Blesser as well as The Forgiver] and Allah will what they perceived Him i.e. Blesser as well as Forgiver.