Through every being, God speaks. Perhaps we could be polite enough to listen. — Hafez
Across all times and places, human beings have sought God. Regardless of latitude or century, there has always been a longing to pierce the veils of the Unknowable, to understand the mysteries of creation, and above all, to become One with the Source.
This longing is not limited to one tradition, culture, or time. It is a universal movement of the soul—a pull toward wholeness, meaning, and divine reunion. It is the call that resonates quietly behind every sincere prayer, every mystical poem, every inward gaze.
Hafez, the Persian mystic, told a parable about this longing. In it, a gang of thieves steals a rare diamond. At first, they rejoice. But as night falls, fear takes hold. Each thief suspects the others of betrayal, and no one dares to sleep. Suspicion escalates until, at last, they shatter the diamond—and the priceless treasure is lost. Hafez concludes:
Most people are poor at mathematics,
And they do this to God—
They divide that which is an Indivisible Unity […]
Another vital lesson from Hafez reads:
Through everyone
God speaks.
So why not be polite and
Listen
To Him.
Encouraged by such beautiful words, every seeker may set out on a journey—a search for the Divine, sparked by a deep desire to listen to His Voice. And yet, this journey demands something of us: courage, patience, and above all, a willingness to be changed.
A classic allegory of this quest can be found in one of the most renowned works of Sufi literature, „The Conference of the Birds“ by Fariduddin Attar, a 12th-century Persian poet and pharmacist. Attar’s work inspired Rumi, Hafez, and many other Sufi poets.
The story begins with a gathering of birds, summoned by the hoopoe bird, who symbolises the murshid or spiritual guide. The birds are lost, uncertain, and full of longing. They have heard of the Immortal One, Simurgh, the King of Kings who rules all life. Together, they decide to seek Him out and ask the essential questions of existence.
Their journey is arduous. They must pass through seven valleys, each filled with challenges. Not all birds are willing to embark on the path. Some refuse to leave family behind. Others fear uncertainty or are seduced by beauty along the way. Each bird offers a reason—and a reflection of our own hesitations. In the end, only thirty birds reach the final valley, where they find a magnificent palace—but no king.
They search every hall and corridor until they find a mirror. There, gazing into their own reflection, they realise the truth: they are Simurgh. The divine was within them all along. In Persian, sī murē means „thirty birds.“
This revelation is not merely symbolic—it reflects the most profound truth of the inner path: that the seeker and the Sought are not separate. Let us now look at these seven valleys—the stages a Wanderer must pass through on the path back to the Self.
- The Valley of Seeking
Here, the Wanderer abandons all dogmas, beliefs, and doubts. Even the first step can be difficult. The Sufi master Sachal Sarmast said:
Your first duty [on the path] is to abandon faith, disbelief (…) and all religions.
Are we prepared to let go of what we believe? To loosen our grip on conviction and leave even our doubts behind? The path of true learning begins with unlearning, as one gradually turns away from the world. It is the beginning of emptying oneself in order to receive.
- The Valley of Love
In this valley, reason is left behind. Love becomes the sole compass. This is not romantic or sentimental love, but a consuming, all-transforming flame that burns away the ego.
Amir Khusrau Dehlavi, India’s great poet-musician, wrote:
O Khusrau!
The river of love flows in strange directions.
He who jumps into it drowns, and he who drowns reaches the other shore.
Without trust in the ultimate goal, we cannot begin. To step into love, we must trust in God. This stage is often marked by ecstasy, suffering, and surrender.
- The Valley of Knowledge
Worldly knowledge becomes useless here. A new, intuitive intelligence awakens, allowing the Wanderer to perceive the divine order beneath existence.
The limitations of rational thinking are exposed, and the seeker begins to see with the eyes of the heart. True knowledge arises from love. Where there is love, there is no „I.“
It is no longer about accumulating information, but about experiencing wisdom.
- The Valley of Detachment
All desires and worldly attachments fall away. This is the realm of conscious „dying and becoming.“
A Sufi master described it with a metaphor:
Detachment is like a little girl who loves her doll. She carries it everywhere, tends to it, even makes a bed and stroller for it. But one day, she realises the doll cannot speak. She sets it aside and chooses to play with real children.
So it is with us. We outgrow what once fascinated us. The hardest part is believing we are losing something.
When we create inner space, we make room for God. And yet, this valley can be a source of pain. It requires the courage to endure inner emptiness and resist the urge to return to false comforts.
- The Valley of Unity
Here, the Wanderer sees that all is interconnected. God is above harmony, multiplicity, and even eternity. This is a stage of patience, calm, and surrender.
Attar writes:
Whoever vanishes in Him, frees himself from himself —
For if he were in himself, he would not be in Him.Destroy, but do not speak of resignation;
Give your life, but do not count it!
I know no greater happiness
Than when a person gives up and loses.
Duality begins to dissolve, and the soul glimpses a higher harmony. The illusion of separation fades.
- The Valley of Bewilderment
Here, the Wanderer is overcome by the beauty of the Beloved. Wonder replaces understanding. What once made sense no longer does. What once helped may now hinder.
Levels of awareness are constantly shifting. Certainties are overturned. The soul learns to navigate not through logic but by the light of devotion and trust.
As Christ said:
Whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
This bewilderment is not confusion, but awe. It is the moment the soul realises how small it is—and how vast is the truth.
- The Valley of Annihilation
The Self dissolves. The „I“ disappears. Time, suffering, and separation vanish. The Wanderer becomes an empty vessel through which God may dwell. The illusion of identity melts away.
Rumi writes:
No lover would seek union
if the Beloved were not also seeking.
In this final state, there is no more distance between the seeker and the Sought. God has found him, and he has found God.
Light merges into light.
A drop returns to the ocean.
There is no longer „I“ or „You.“
There is UNITY.
Here ends the journey, but not the life. For in the most profound unity, the soul returns to the world transformed—not to escape it, but to radiate that silent presence which has no name but love.
