classes. The first, which is the lowest, is that of
the simple sensuous delight in melody. The sec
ond class is that of pleasure in the melody and of
understanding the words in their apparent sense.
The third class consists of those who apply the
meaning of the words to the relations between man
and God. To this class belongs the would-be initi
ate into Sufism. He goes on to say, " He has
necessarily a goal marked out for him to aim at,
and this goal is the knowledge of God, meeting
Him and union with Him by the way of secret
contemplation, and the removal of the veil which
conceals Him. In order to compass this aim the
Sufi has a special path to follow; he must perform
various ascetic practices and overcome certain spiri
tual obstacles in doing so. Now when, during the
recitation of poetry, the Sufi hears mention made
of blame or praise, of acceptance or refusal, of
union with the Beloved or separation from Him,
of lament over a departed joy or longing for a
look, as often occurs in Arabic poetry, one or the
other of these accords with his spiritual state and
acts upon him like a spark on tinder, to set his
heart aflame. Longing and love overpower him
and unfold to him manifold vistas of spiritual ex
perience."
"The fourth and highest class is that of the fully initiated who have passed through the stages above mentioned, and whose minds are closed to everything except God. Such an one is wholly
