Al-Hallaj Quotes
Mansur al-Hallaj was a Persian Sufi mystic, preacher, and poet whose ecstatic utterances and public life made him one of the most controversial and revered figures of early Sufi history. After long years of travel and ascetic practice from Mecca to Sind and Khurasan, he settled in Baghdad, where his open declaration Ana al-Haqq, I am the Truth, scandalized many traditional jurists and drew the suspicion of the Abbasid court. The quotes below are attributed to Al-Hallaj, organized by topic.
Browse Al-Hallaj by topic
Al-Hallaj on God
-
“I am the Truth.”
Ana al-Haqq -
Attributed to Al-Hallaj:
“I have seen my Lord with the eye of my heart.”
-
Attributed to Al-Hallaj:
“Between me and Thee, there is only I; remove the I, and only Thou remains.”
-
Attributed to Al-Hallaj:
“He who tastes the wine of divine love forgets every other taste.”
-
“Mysticism and Philosophical Analysis (1978) by Steven T. Katz, p. 92; four centuries later the Christian mystic Meister Eckhart would make a very similar assertion: "The eye with which I see God is the same with which God sees me. My eye and God's eye is one eye, and one sight , and one knowledge , and one love .”
I saw my Lord with the eye of my heart . He said, "Who are you?" I said, " I am You. " You are He Who fills all place But place does not know where You are. In my subsistence is my annihilation; In my annihilation, I remain You. -
“God , Most High, is the very one who Himself affirms His unity by the tongue of whatever of His creatures He wishes. If He Himself affirms His unity by my tongue, it is He and His affair. Otherwise, brother, I have nothing to do with affirming God's Unity.”
As quoted in Words of Ecstasy in Sufism (1985) by Carl W. Ernst, p. 45 Variant translation: Allah, Most High, is the very One Who Himself affirms His Unity by the tongue of whomsoever of His creatures He wishes. If He affirms His Unity in m
Al-Hallaj on Knowledge
-
“I saw my Lord with the eye of my heart . He said, "Who are you?" I said, " I am You. " You are He Who fills all place But place does not know where You are. In my subsistence is my annihilation; In my annihilation, I remain You.”
Mysticism and Philosophical Analysis (1978) by Steven T. Katz, p. 92; four centuries later the Christian mystic Meister Eckhart would make a very similar assertion: "The eye with which I see God is the same with which God sees me. My eye and God's eye is one eye, and one sight , and one knowledge , and one love . | Variant translations: | I saw my Lord with the eye of the heart. I asked: Who art T -
“I saw my Lord with the Eye of my heart, And I said: Truly there is no doubt that it is You. It is You that I see in everything; And I do not see You through anything (but You) . As quoted in "Husayn ibn Mansur al-Hallaj" at Sidi Muhammad Press”
I saw my Lord with the eye of my heart . He said, "Who are you?" I said, " I am You. " You are He Who fills all place But place does not know where You are. In my subsistence is my annihilation; In my annihilation, I remain You.
Al-Hallaj on Love
-
Attributed to Al-Hallaj:
“Love is the closest companion of the seeker, even when it leads to the gallows.”
-
“The beloved does not drink a single drop of water without seeing His Face in the cup. Allah is He Who flows between the pericardium and the heart, just as the tears flow from the eyelids.”
As quoted in Mystical Dimensions of Islam (1978) by Annemarie Schimmel
Al-Hallaj on Mind
-
“He acts without contact, instructs without meeting, guides without pointing. Desires do not conflict with Him, thoughts do not mingle with Him: His essence is without qualification (takyeef), His action without effort (takleef).”
On Allah (God), as quoted in Doctrine of Sufis (1977) by Abû Bakr al- Kalâbâdî, as translated by A. J. Arberry , Ch. 5 p. 16
Al-Hallaj on Time
-
“Concealment does not veil Him His pre-existence preceded time, His being preceded not-being, His eternity preceded limit.”
On Allah (God), as quoted in Doctrine of Sufis (1977) by Abû Bakr al- Kalâbâdî, as translated by A. J. Arberry , Ch. 5 p. 15 -
“Other than He cannot be qualified by two (opposite) qualities at one time; yet With Him they do not create opposition. He is hidden in His manifestation, manifest in His concealing.”
On Allah (God), as quoted in Doctrine of Sufis (1977) by Abû Bakr al- Kalâbâdî, as translated by A. J. Arberry , Ch. 5 p. 16