A Shepherd made jazb (attracted) by Allah (swt)

Shaykh Rumi (rah) mentions that there was a shepherd herding a flock of goats, he was made jazb (attracted) by Allah (swt). While attending to his herd, he was preoccupied with Allah and began assuming a conversation with the Almighty. He used to say,

"O Allah if I were to find You I would have served You. If you were to come this hillock upon which I graze my goats, I would sweep the place whereupon You sit. I would have massaged your hands and feet and given you my goats milk to drink. I would have mad dough by mixing flour with goat's milk to make Roghni roti for You. You may not have had the opportunity to comb Your Hair for a very long time due to being occupied in controlling the universe. Thus I would have cleansed Your head of all the lice therein. I would have sewn a nice cushion for You."

Shaykh has rendered (these simple words of the Shepherd into a poem)...

Were I to locate You, My Lord and Master,
Daily would I have massaged Your hands and feet.

Where You would have sat, O Beloved Kind of my soul.

Daily would I have with eagerness swept.
Even your cushion would I have sewn. O Master!

In every possible way would I have been of service to You.

Fed you with Roghni-rotiwould I have.

With sweet water would I have quenched Your thirst.

At dawn and dusk would I have given You milk from my flock to drink

O Lord of mankind!
My entire flock will be for You, were I to suffice.

My cries while attending my flock is in reality not out of concern for the flock

But are my laments of sorrow in Your separation.

One day Musa (as) happened to pass by and overheard these words of the shepherd. He immediately scolded him with these words,

"O wretched person, what are you saying? By these words you have become a kaafir (non-believer) because Allah (swt) is pure of having a body. How can there be lice in His head if He possesses no head? Since He has no hands and feet, how is it possible for you to massage them? Without a stomach how is it conceivable for you to feed Him? Since when is Allah in need of physical service, that you are offering it to him? Allah is neither in need of food nor drink. He is independent of the service of man. Immediately repent from these absurdities."

Taken aback by these words of Musa(as) the shepherd tore his shirt in a rage of guilt and betook himself to the wilderness out of fear. Allah (swt) revealed to Musa (as);

"Why did you separate My servant from Me O Musa? Ah! He was expressing his love, Why are you separating My servant from Me O Musa? Go and search for this servant of Mine. My illustrious court desires to hear again his ecstatic words expressing love for Me. OMusa the rules and ethics of intellect vary from the vogue of those whose intellect has been compromised by an excess of love for Me. To those who have, due to My love, torn to shreds their garments, do not give the command to darn and stitch. To those who are intoxicated and driven mad by My love, do not instruct with formality. Do not teach them the theme of leadership and guidance, for they are beyond becoming leaders and guides."

Shaykh Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Saheb D.B