From Rumi's Fihi Ma Fihi: Discourse 45, Part 2 of 2

“When we were in Samarkand, the Khvarizmshah laid siege to Samarkand and attacked with his army. Not far from us lived an exceedingly beautiful girl, so lovely that none could match her in all the city. I heard her saying, ‘O God, I know You would never allow me to be delivered into the hands of evildoers. I know You would never permit that. I rely on You, O God.’ When the city was sacked and all its inhabitants were taken into captivity, even the maidservants of that woman were captured. But she was left unharmed. For all her extreme beauty, no man even cast eyes on her. From this, know that whoever commits themselves to God is secure from harm and remains in safety. No petition of man in God’s presence is ever ignored.”

“‘Call upon Me and I will answer you.’ A certain dervish taught his son that no matter what he needed, ‘Ask it of God.’ The years passed. Then one day, while the child was alone in the house, he became hungry. In his usual way he said, ‘I want some food, I am hungry.’ Suddenly, a bowl of pottage materialized, and the child ate until he was full. When his father and mother returned, they said, ‘Aren’t you hungry?’ The child answered, ‘I just asked for food and ate.’ His father said, ‘Praise be to God, that your confidence and reliance upon God has grown so strong!’”

“Don’t you see that all these things are but an occasion for the display of God’s omnipotence? Everything came from Him, and His will must always come to pass. The believer knows that behind this wall there is Someone who is aware of every circumstance in our lives, one by one, and who sees us, though we do not see Him. But those who say, ‘No, this is all a tale,’ they cannot believe. The day will come when they will realize their error.”

“After all, the purpose of prayer is not standing, bowing and prostrating all day, for those moments of spiritual union that possess you in prayer should always be with you. Whether asleep or awake, writing or reading, in any moment, you should not be far from the remembrance of God.”