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The Story of DiamondThere lived a woodcutter in a small hut nearby a city busily occupied with hisfamily. Though his means were meager he was very much contented.

One day while he was passing through the forest he spotted a small piece ofglass glittering in the sunlight. The cut glass was very clear, lustrous andsparkling. The woodcutter has somewhere heard the name "diamond" and itsvalue. Thinking that this must be a diamond and the Mighty Lord has providedhim with one he quickly picked it up and returned home.

On seeing the woodcutter his wife became perplexed and asked him why hereturned home so soon? Where is his stock? Had he lost it or someone hadusurped it. The woodcutter replied his wife, do not get disturbed. Look! Lord

God has provided me with a diamond. The wife said, "show me the diamondimmediately, I am too anxious to see it. Taking his wife to the corner of thehouse he showed her the cut glass. On seeing it, excitedly she said, go andsell it. Our days of poverty and destitute are gone. Eventually Lord hasgranted us comfort and repose.

The woodcutter said his wife, "listen to me, this is a large sized diamond. If Itake this to the bazar, people would unnecessarily lay claim over it. Where isthis woodcutter and whence this diamond? Certainly he has stolen it fromsomewhere. People would succeed in slandering me and we would bedivested of our diamond as well as our lives. It is better to devise a plan to

dispose this diamond, else we would get involved in trouble. Moreover wewould be prejudiced in getting a fair price for this diamond. It is sensible tokeep it safe and not to sell it without a mediator".

Then the woodcutter kept the cut glass in a small box and wrapped the box inrags of blankets and placed the bundle in the lumber. With his meagerresources he maintained his family for a few days. Then they starved for acouple of days and started searching for an intermediary to sell the diamond.One of his friends comforted him by directing him to a particular jeweler in thenearby city.

The woodcutter went and found the place of the jeweler, his authority and theexalted position he occupies. He was surrounded by many people, somesitting and others standing with folded arms. There were other jewelers too,occupying their chairs and checking the quality of impeccable gems. Onseeing this, the woodcutter stood aloof from the crowd, reverentially in thepresence of the jeweler. The jeweler was wise, mystical and worthy of doingmarvels. Gently he looked at the woodcutter, summoned and enquired afterhim.

When the Sun casts its rays often it transforms stones into Rubies andCornelians.

The woodcutter replied, O Generous one, I am poor and indigent. Have come

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to behold your feet. Sympathetically the jeweler paid him some money.Politely the woodcutter received the money and went home. With that moneyhe maintained his family for a while, pledging his hope on the diamond hepreserves.

Again he went to the jeweler and hopefully stood in his presence to gethimself addressed. This time also the jeweler gave him alms. For the thirdtime the woodcutter went in the service of the jeweler. Respectfully, withfolded arms, he prostrated before him and entreated the Master that he hasbeen cherishing a hope from the feet of the Master. The jeweler said, Obrother, tell me whatever you have to say. The woodcutter replied, thisassembly is too crowded. People of both high and low are gathered here. If Icould get a private audience I would consider myself more fortunate and shallbe absolved of my request.

Having endowed with a kind disposition, the jeweler took him to his private

chamber. The woodcutter again reverentially prostrated before him and gavean account of his story. The jeweler said fear not my friend, go and bring yourdiamond here and I shall fetch a good price from the king. The woodcuttersaid, I am afraid of bringing it here. Please do take the trouble of visiting myhome. The jeweler being blessed with piety and noble manners said, okay, letus proceed to your home, friend.

Whoever is destined to be favored with a treasure of Divine Grace, he usuallyundergoes sufferings in this world. When Lord God wants to shower HisGrace on someone, He merely adopts some means to exhibit it wherever Hewants.

The jeweler prepared his conveyance and arrived at woodcutter's home in adignified manner. The woodcutter spread an old mat for him to sit, and, hisfamily showed their obeisance to him.

Where is your diamond, bring it here and I shall pronounce its price, said thejeweler. The woodcutter took down the sack from the lumber and startedremoving the rags. Mystified on seeing this, the jeweler silently thought, thediamond is a small thing, but how awful is its enormous padding. With whatterrible and dreadful things have this woodcutter wrapped up the diamond. He

should have at least spent a part of his reasoning.

Finally the woodcutter opened the sack and taking out the small box, gave itto the jeweler. The jeweler opened the box and lo! What he sees is nothingbut a cut glass. Though this is only a glass piece the poor woodcutter hasfashioned his hope on it, the jeweler thought. If I tell him the truth, he wouldbecome very much despondent. He certainly might have heard the name"diamond and has held this glass piece thinking it a diamond. Let me keepthis woodcutter as a novice and teach him the art of identifying a gemstone.

Farsightedly the jeweler said, dear friend, very precious and of a rare

distinction is your diamond. If I take this to the king, I fear he would demand itfor a cheap price. On the other-hand, if the king seeks this diamond, we shall

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get a better price. Till such an opportune time arrives keep this diamondsecurely and never look at it. Until then be at my service without anyreservation and I shall look after your sustenance. Thus speaking the jewelerreturned his home. Carrying out the counsel of the jeweler, the woodcutterpacked the glass piece back, kept it in the lumber and hurried to the service of

the Master.

The jeweler took hold of the hands of the woodcutter and summoned all thejewelers to his side. Emphatically he said to them, this poor fellow has cometo my service. Basically he is a woodcutter. Keep him always within yourcompany and teach him the art of analyzing various jewels.

Since everyone in the assembly was under the authority of the MasterJeweler they immediately commenced his lesson. Those lessons startedyielding good result and profited him in learning the techniques. For a longperiod he was groomed in this fashion and attained distinction in his skill.

After further a long period, the noble of descent, the jeweler, summoned allthe jewelers and enquired whether the woodcutter has acquired the distinctionof distinguishing various jewels.

Everyone present replied, O Master, he is now an adept in his art. The Masterwent inside his chamber. When he came out he was carrying diamonds mixedwith quartz and crystals. He gave this mixture to the woodcutter and askedhim to find out whether these jewels are good or otherwise.

After carefully examining it the woodcutter said there are quartz and crystalsalso in this mixture. The jeweler said now you separate the gemstones.

The woodcutter showed him the pieces of gems and also the grit stones. Thejeweler in order to test his knowledge said they all are pure and unalloyedstones. And you say some are diamonds and a few as quartz. The woodcuttersaid, O esteemed Master, the intrinsic value and real merit of each substanceis thus established and revealed under scrutiny. The jeweler quietlycomplemented him saying now he has the talent to distinguish a preciousstone from a pebble.

After sometime the jeweler called the woodcutter and said that the kingdesires a large sized diamond. Go and bring your diamond and I shall sell itfor a good price. Happily the woodcutter went his home, opened the pack andlooked into the box. He found it is neither a crystal nor even quartz. It is but apiece of cut glass. With a sense of shame he remained in the ocean ofremorse like a naked man remaining immersed in the water.

Ruefully he thought where am I? A mere woodcutter and whencethe personality of jeweler's self? How could a crystal be equal with adiamond? I am a peasant and he a prince, I am ignoble and he of noble

virtues, he is higher and me the low. How often I have lied to him about thediamond!!! By employing untruth as a ruse I became friendly with him. I lived

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on his sustenance through untruth. How mean I am to summon his augustpresence in my home for the sake of a mere cut glass. What an enduring andtolerant person he is? Even after beholding the glass piece he gave meshelter. How kindly he adorned me in his tutelage. He never let my hopesshattered into despondency. Instead he taught me the art of lapidary.

He showed me the way so that I am clear in my understanding. Bytransforming a woodcutter into a jeweler he indeed has made a beggar into aking. How could I appear before him? I am thoroughly mortified. Repentingon his follies the woodcutter remained at his home.

The jeweler understood why the woodcutter has not returned with hisdiamond. He sympathized the poor woodcutter. He knew that shame hasprevented the woodcutter in facing him. So he again went to the home ofwoodcutter and enquired him why has he not brought his diamond.

Like a mortar of lime getting dissolved in water, the woodcutter prostrated inhis feet. Tenderly the jeweler said, O friend indeed you have arrived at thefountainhead of truth, even though your journey started from assumption.

It is the aspiration for the name of Diamond and its worth has shown you theWay. The love for the diamond has made you to seek the jeweler. From thejeweler you have learned the art by adopting the path of co-jewelers. The lovefor the diamond has made you attain an eminent position. Abandoning yourfalse and pretentious knowledge you have adopted fidelity with fairness.

He then took him away and made him a jeweler among jewelers. In fact thejeweler's role is only metaphorical, figurative. Whoever is granted the primeintellect by Lord God, all the hindrances are removed from his path, and hisheart and soul is illumined with the Truth.

Now listen to the wisdom of this parable. The cut glass, which the woodcuttercarefully preserved, was the outward form of religion. The rags and box arethe resemblance of formal worship. The endeavor to keep the glass piecesafely is the faith; the dread of losing it is the steadfastness.

The value of the diamond is the Grace and the Vision of Lord. How could

anybody get a fair value without the mediation of an intercessor? When thewoodcutter earnestly desired to sell the diamond he started to search for anintermediary. The friend who directed him to the jeweler is the worldlypreceptor. The Lord in order to grant him His vision showed him to theJeweler who is none other than the Spiritual Master.

The Spiritual Master after noticing the sincerity and the quest to know theTruth prepared the woodcutter by his personal grace and favor. Unless anduntil the Master cast his grace the road to salvation is not to be found.Subsequently a novice can discern truth from falsehood. Whoever has theearnest desire to know the truth, even if he is deluded, the right way is shown

to him.

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Original diamond is the Essence of Prophet Mohammed in whose light theentire world is manifested. Light of Mohammed is the Light of God. Know incertainty that the same light is reflected in the soul of Adam. Therefore theoriginal diamond is essentially the light of Perfect Man. The jeweler is thePerfect Master with whom the stations of the way can be traversed. The

house of the jeweler is the soul of man and the house of the woodcutter is thebody of man.

When Qadre Alam embraced Badre Alam as his Master JewelerQadre Alam too has achieved the status of peer.