After Rabia's death, she appeared to the faithful in visions. They saw her running with a lit torch in one hand, and a bucket of water in the other.
"Where are you going?" they shouted. "What will you do with the fire and the water?
"I'm going to Heaven to set it on fire, and then to Hell to extinguish its flames. I must remove the veils of Heaven and Hell," she said, "so people will seek God for God's own sake. If they love God only in hope of Paradise or in fear of Hell, they aren't true lovers."
Inspired by: Sufi Women by Javad Nurbakshsh
Notes: This story is on p. 52 of the book. You can find out more about Rabia of Basra at Wikipedia.
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