The Effect of Godly Preachers on the Soul

One ought to bear in mind that human birth is characterised by two aspects. The soul makes up one part of it, while the baser self, which is expansive and widespread, constitutes the other part. Now you can all easily understand that anything that is larger will carry a greater effect. The fervour of the soul in man, however, may be likened to a foreigner who has come to reside in a place far from home among strangers. Therefore, the soul which is in a state unknown is given very little attention. A sign of the influence of the soul is that when a godly preacher and divine reformer speaks, he considers his listeners to be non-existent and conveys his words in the likeness of a messenger. In this state, the soul melts until it uncontrollably descends in the likeness of a waterfall that flows from a high river bank to lower ground, after which the soul flows towards God Almighty, and in this flow it experiences a pleasure and joy which I cannot express in words. Hence, in his expositions and speeches, he looks at the countenance of Allah. He does not care about what his listeners will say when they hear his words. He receives pleasure from another source, and is filled with inner delight over the fact that he is conveying the command and message of His Master and Ruler. The difficulties and pains that he experiences in conveying this message is also a source of pleasure in itself and a means of comfort for him.

(Malfuzat [English], Vol. 2, p.116)