Sufi used to forget which of his legs was right and which was left. He had to wait at the door of the mosque until somebody could tell him. Then, as is stipulated in Islam, he would put his right foot first in the place of prayer. He had reached the stage where sides do not exist. Whichever side the ardent lover looks, he finds only his beloved.
The destiny of every Sufi is merger with the beloved. That state is called fana fi Allah, annihilation in God. But that is not the end of the story. They have to return back to the mundane world. That is the highest stage in Sufism, called baqa bil Allah, subsistence in God. But this time they are not separated from God because there is no lover and no beloved, there is only oneness. Only Love.
From the start, Sufis know that God, the beloved, is purest of the pure. And they know that only a pure and truthful heart can reach this beloved. They use their love to purify their hearts. With the power of their love they shun all falseness, all impurities, and their hearts become delightful with truthfulness and light. This is often an arduous process which demands faith, courage, and total commitment to the beloved and, more or less in every case, a master. So most of them have a proper and trained guide in the shape of a shaikh, pir, or murshid (the spiritual master). Their relationship with him requires complete surrender. There were some exceptions, as there always are, and they were called the fools of God.
Sufis pass through the unknown, veiled, and mysterious planes and dimensions. Along the way they meet prophets, angels, saintly souls and other highly developed beings who reveal many secrets to them and help them in their journey. This experience is