rayhanah majnoonah

A soofi by the name of Abu ar-Rabi’ says:
“Muhammad bin al-Munkadir, Thabit Banani, and I were guests at the house of Rayhanah. Before the expiry of half the night she woke up and said:
‘The lover goes to his beloved, and the heart is filled with such joy that it seems that it would burst any moment.’

When half the night passed, she said:
“One should not attach one’s heart to such things which if you set your eyes on them, you perceive a difference (i.e. a decrease) in your remembrance of Allah. At night, one should strive very hard in ‘ibadah, only then can one become His friend.”

When the entire night passed, she screamed and said:
‘Oh! It has been destroyed!’ I asked her: ‘What happened?’ She replied: ‘The night is gone in which one can concentrate fully in Allah.’

Lesson: Look at how she valued the night. The person who experiences the sweetness of ibadah, will value the night greatly. O women! You should also set aside a certain portion of the night for your ibadah. Look at how well she explained the harm of directing your attention towards anything that distracts you from the remembrance of Allah.

from Bahesti Zewar