by T.L. James of MarsBlog. Part of our weekly Sufi Wisdom series.

As militant Islam does its best to discredit the religion, it is important to remember that there are other voices within the faith. One such is the Sufis, a branch of Islamic mystics with roots in many religious traditions. The lessons of Sufism are often communicated through humorous stories and mystical or romantic poetry.

In early recognition of Valentine's Day -- and the anniversary of my first Sufi post here at WoC -- here is another love poem from Rumi. As I noted in that first post,

Sufi love poetry can be beautiful when taken at face value -- as referencing the romantic bonds between human lovers, the worldly love of man and woman, the courtly love of a man for the Lady of the Manor, or simply the abstraction of Love as a personified force. But as with other Sufi materials, this romantic poetry functions on another level, reflecting the "creed of love" as Sufism is often described. Love is worship, and the Beloved is the Divine.

This poem is no exception.

From the beginning of my life
I have been looking for your face
but today I have seen it