Obey the Khulafa with True Sincerity — Page 2
their speech and writing. The Promised Messiahªs quoted a maxim of the sufis: courtesy is the root to all success. So long as a person is unable to govern their words, whether spoken or written, and is not fully aware of what flows from their tongue and pen, they are hardly worthy of being called a human being. Indeed they are worse than animals, for even beasts steer clear of danger; yet some people never consider the consequences of their actions. [For example], if an animal is dragged towards a treacherous place, such as a cave, it will resist. In his [well-known] work the Masnavi, Rumi narrates a parable in which a mouse pulls the string of a camel and drags it in the direction it is walking [causing the mouse to think that it is pulling the camel along]. On approaching a river, the camel abruptly turns around and starts to drag the mouse instead. Thus even a mouse might lead a camel, provided it does not perceive a threat; but the -2-