Heart, Self & Soul: The Sufi Psychology of Growth, Balance, and Harmony
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Robert Frager, Quest Books, Theosophical Publishing House, p. 154
Service (or adab)
Robert Frager
To serve others with gratitude for the opportunity of service is good
adab. A dervish seeks opportunities to serve, knowing that service
is an essential part of the spiritual path.
Some years ago, an American dervish was visiting Turkey, and he spent
all his free time in Sheikh Muzaffer's bookstore. When a boy came to the
shop with tea for everyone, the American dervish immediately pulled out his
wallet and paid it. At lunch time, he rushed to pay for the lunches brought
to the store. As he reached for his wallet a third time to pay for soft
drinks, Sheikh Muzaffer scolded him, "Do you want to take all the benifits
of serving others today? Don't be selfish; give someone else a chance to pay!"
Serving others is like serving God.