The Mathnawi of Jalaluddin Rumi

From yonder, trailing the skirt (of glory), it brings back to them lessons concerning the purities of the All-encompassing (God).
Through mingling with the people (of the world) it falls sick and desires (to make) that journey, saying, “Revive us, O Bilál!”

❧225. O melodious sweet-voiced Bilál, go up into the minaret, beat the drum of departure.”
Whilst the body is standing (in the ritual prayer), the spirit is gone on its journey: hence at the moment of return it says, “Salám!”
(On its return to the world) it liberates all from performing the ablution with sand, and seekers of the qibla from endeavouring to ascertain the proper direction.
This parable is like an intermediary in the discourse: an intermediary is required for the apprehension of the vulgar.
Without an intermediary, how should any one go into the fire, except (one like) the salamander?—for he is independent of the connecting link.

❧230. You need the hot bath as an intermediary, so that you may refresh your constitution by (the heat of) the fire.
Since you cannot go into the fire, like Khalíl (Abraham), the hot bath has become your Apostle, and the water your guide.
Satiety is from God, but how should the unclean attain unto satiety without the mediation of bread?
Beauty is from God, but the corporealist does not feel (the charm of) beauty without the veil (medium) of the garden.
When the bodily medium is removed, (then) he (who is disembodied) perceives without (any) screen, like Moses, the light of the Moon (shining) from (his own) bosom.

❧235. These virtues possessed by the water bear witness likewise that its interior is filled with the grace of God.

The testimony of external acts and words to the hidden mind and the inner light.

Act and word are witnesses to the hidden mind: from these twain infer the inward state.
When your thought does not penetrate within, inspect the patient's urine from without.
Act and word are (as) the urine of the sick, which is clear evidence for the physician of the body.
But the spiritual physician enters into his (patient's) soul and by the spiritual way penetrates into his (inmost) belief.

❧240. He hath no need of fine acts and words: “beware of them (the spiritual physicians), they are spies on (men's) hearts.”
Demand this testimony of acts and words from him (only) who is not united with the Sea like a river.

Explaining that the light itself from within the illumined person bears witness to his light, without any act or word declaring it.

But the (inner) light of the traveller (mystic) who has passed beyond the pale (of selfhood)—the deserts and plains are filled with his radiance.
(The fact of) his being a witness (to God) is independent of witnesses and works of supererogation and of self-devotion and self-sacrifice.
Since the light of that (spiritual) substance has shone forth, he has gained independence of these hypocrisies.

❧245. Therefore do not demand of him the testimony of act and speech, for through him both the worlds have blossomed like a rose.
What is this testimony? The making manifest of that which is hidden, whether (by) word or act or something else;
For its object is to make manifest the inward nature of the spiritual substance: the attributes (of that substance) are permanent, though these accidents (such as acts and words) are fleeting.