The feeling of sacredness comes from that profound depth of the heart which may be called the divine chamber; therefore it is religious feeling which is to be valued rather than the outward form. People in all ages have called those who did not worship in the same form as themselves heathen or pagan, and this hatred has caused all the wars and disagreements between the religions of the world. However high, beautiful, or wonderful the religious form may be, if there is no sincerity of the heart it is nothing. Therefore, the true religion is that sentiment which is to be found in the deepest depth of our being. When once that sentiment has become real, one naturally begins to respect the same sentiment in another person.

I have very often seen the sign of the true religious person. A person who is truly religious, if he sees another person -- to whatever religion he belongs -- occupied in his way of worship, he respects him because he feels the same feeling in his heart. It is just like the language of the mother: the sentiment that a mother has for her child. She may go to the North Pole and see a mother from quite a different land, but she will know her feeling though she may not know the language. Religion is the sacred religious sentiment; religion is not a form. And if this sentiment is there, then one respects that sentiment in every form.

There is a story that Moses was passing through the countryside, and he saw there a young farmer who had perhaps for the first time heard a religious sermon and had heard the name of God. This farmer sitting there leaning against a tree in nature was calling to the God whose name he had heard in the sermon. He said, "O God, if I ever saw you, if you came here, you cannot imagine what I would not do for you. I would take you home and give you all the nice food I can make for you; my best clothes I would give you, and I would take such great care of you. If the wolf came, I would first give my life to the wolf before it could touch you. If you only knew how I love you, you would certainly come to me."

Moses heard this discourse and said to the lad, "What are you saying? God, who is the protector of all, you cannot protect. No danger can touch Him, He is above all danger. Wolf and tiger and lion are all His, He has made them; He does not depend upon our earthly food." The boy felt such a feeling of despair that he did not know where to go or what to say or to think.

As Moses went further he perceived, as he used to perceive, the voice, the message of God. The voice said, "What have you done Moses? We sent you to the earth to bring closer those who love us; you have separated them. Every lover of ours pictures us according to his mentality. We do not concern ourselves in what way he approaches us, for we know his deepest feeling towards us."

It is to learn and to understand this idea that the Sufi movement has this Universal Worship. In this Universal Worship whatever form a person has does not matter; as long as he believes in God, he may come together with other human beings without thinking about belief in this or that. This worship does not take anyone away from his own way; it only presents before everyone his own scripture. In this service one begins to train oneself to love one's own religion and to tolerate the religions of others.

At this time when the world is divided into so many sections, one working against another, it is most necessary that humanity must at least unite in God. For whatever difference there may be among human beings, before God there is no difference. He is the father of all humanity, and we all go before Him as His children. This Universal Worship reminds us of this, and this Universal Worship prepares us to sympathize with one another and to be blessed by all forms of wisdom which have come to us by different great teachers of humanity. There is one God and there is one truth, so in reality there cannot be many religions; there is only one religion. By the realization of this truth we shall be truly benefitted by what is called religion.