31:34 Surely God-He has knowledge of the Hour.
It is a sound report that a nomad came before Muṣ?afā and said, "O Messenger of God, when is the Hour?" At that moment the nomad was burning in love for the Real and the ocean of passion was boiling in his inwardness. He knew that knowledge of the time of the resurrection was not with Muṣ?afā, for this verse had come-"Surely God-He has knowledge of the Hour." But in wishing to see the Real he wanted to talk, because of his passion's pain and burning. He said, "O Messenger of God. There is a drink that I placed in the hand of my need several years ago, and the promise has been given that it will be drunk at the resurrection. When will the time come when I will drink it down and take my ease in contemplating the perfect beauty without end and beginning?"
Muṣ?afā knew where his pain was coming from and what its remedy would be. He said, "What have you done that you ask about that way station? How is it that you hope for it?"
The nomad said, "I have not done much prayer and fasting, but I love God and the Messenger."
Muṣ?afā said, "A man will be with the one he loves." Tomorrow, everyone will be with the one he loves today.
The Pir of the Tariqah said, "The evidence of having found friendship is throwing the two worlds into the ocean. The mark of realizing friendship is turning away from other than the Real. The beginning of friendship is a wound, and its end a lamp. The beginning of friendship is distress, its middle waiting, and its end vision."
What harm if you suffer for a hundred years
so long as you see the Friend in vision some day?
A poet said,
Perhaps the distress with which I awoke
will be followed by quick relief.
*
I said to my heart, "Give it no thought
for our work will be opened by the Opener of work."