The fire of devotion purifies the heart of the devotee, and leads unto spiritual freedom.
Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan
Related Material by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan
Compiled by Wahiduddin Richard Shelquist – wahiduddin.net
The heart developed by religion and morality becomes first capable of choosing and then of retaining the object of devotion without wavering for a moment. … Devotion sweetens the personality, and is the light on the path of the disciple. Those who study mysticism and philosophy while omitting self-sacrifice and resignation grow egoistic and self-centered. Such persons are apt to call themselves either God or a part of God, and thus make an excuse for committing any sins they like. Regardless of sin or virtue they misuse and malign others, being utterly fearless of the hereafter. Yet they forget that ‘strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life’, as the Bible says. The fire of devotion purifies the heart of the devotee and leads to spiritual freedom.
Devotees by their power of concentration, by their purity of life, and by their divine love become wonderful healers. Their every tear and sigh become a source of healing for themselves and those around them. Devotion is the fire in which all infirmities are consumed.
Commentary by Murshid S.A.M. (Sufi Ahmed Murad)
Samuel L. Lewis
Vibrations which reach the heart are of finer nature than those which touch the mind sphere. They cannot be conveyed on the breath ordinarily, but through Fikr, Zikr and Darood, as well as through certain practices of refining the breath, the Divine Thought enables the Cosmic Energy to pierce the mind-mesh and return toward the source. This is the first resurrection, this is the beginning of the process of initiation.
It has been explained, when one, in adoration or supplication, turns toward God, the feeling is of the nature of fire in that it rises. But also it gives strength and courage and faculty to the devotee. This puts back into the heart the life which naturally belongs there. The giving of this life to the heart is the restoration of it to its normal condition which is nothing but freedom. Real freedom of the will does not consist of catering to every desire; freedom of the will consists of freeing it from all the excrescences of conditioned existence (Samsara) so its actions will not be hampered. This is only attained on the heart plane.