Moses and the Sheperd

It was almost sunset in the desert. The heat of the day was slowly disappearing, and a cool evening breeze had begun to blow. A shepherd was walking home with his flock of goats. He was tired after a long day, but his heart was peaceful. As the sun slowly moved toward the horizon, the sky turned golden, and the shepherd began thinking about God.

The shepherd was a simple man. He had never studied great books or learned complicated prayers. He did not know many religious rules or formal words. But he loved God deeply.

As he walked, he began to speak to God as if God were walking beside him.

“Where are You, my beloved God?” he said. “I wish I could find You and serve You.” He smiled as he imagined taking care of God.

“If Your shoes are torn, I will mend them. If Your hair becomes untidy, I will comb it for You. If Your clothes become dirty, I will wash them. I will bring You fresh milk every day.

“If Your feet become tired, I will gently massage them. When You are ready to sleep, I will make Your bed. I will sweep Your room and keep everything clean.

“Everything I have belongs to You—my goats, my work, my food, and my whole life. You are my beloved. I want nothing more than to serve You.”

The shepherd continued walking, happily talking to God.

He did not know that someone was listening. The prophet Moses was nearby and had heard everything.

Moses was shocked.

He waited until the shepherd finished praying. Then he walked toward him and asked firmly,

“Who were you speaking to?” The shepherd looked at Moses innocently.

“To God,” he replied. “The One who created you and me, the earth and the sky.”

Moses became angry.

“Do you not know what you are saying?” he demanded. “God does not need shoes. God does not need milk. God does not need clothes washed or feet massaged! You cannot speak about God in this way.”

The shepherd looked confused. “But I was only trying to show Him how much I love Him.”

“That is not the right way to pray!” Moses replied. “You must stop saying these things. Your words are disrespectful.”

The shepherd’s face fell.

He had thought he was expressing his deepest love. Now he believed that he had offended God.

“Oh, Moses,” he whispered sadly, “you have closed my mouth. I thought I was speaking to God with love. Now I am afraid that I have done something terrible.”He became so upset that he tore open his shirt and ran into the desert, crying.

Moses watched him disappear.

At first, Moses felt that he had done the right thing. He believed he had protected the honor of God. But as the evening grew darker, Moses began to feel uneasy. The shepherd’s words kept returning to his mind. He remembered the man’s innocent face, his simple prayer, and the love in his voice.

That night, Moses fell into a deep sleep. Then he heard a powerful voice.

“Moses, what have you done?” Moses immediately recognized the voice of God. He became frightened and listened carefully.

“You have driven My faithful servant away from Me,” God said. Moses lowered his head.

“But Lord,” he said, “I thought I was teaching him how to pray correctly.” God replied,

“Did I send you to unite people with Me or to separate them from Me?”

Moses remained silent. God continued: “I have allowed people to express their love for Me in different ways. I do not need their prayers, but they need to pray. They need to express what is in their hearts. “You looked only at the shepherd’s words. I looked at his devotion. What may seem foolish or wrong to you may be an expression of sincere love for someone else. Do not judge the heart by the outer form.”

Moses understood that he had made a serious mistake. God said,

“I do not look only at what My people say. I look at what is inside them. What I want to see is love.

“Go and find the shepherd. Tell him that he has done nothing wrong. Tell him that he may speak to Me in whatever way comes naturally to him. His words came from his heart, and I value that love.”

Moses woke up immediately. He felt ashamed. Without wasting any time, he went into the desert to search for the shepherd. The desert was vast, and the night had been dark. But Moses kept walking.

After some time, he noticed something unusual in the sand. There were footprints—but they were not normal footprints. In some places, the shepherd had walked normally. In other places, he had dragged his feet. Sometimes he had stepped backward. At times, he had even crawled. Moses realized how deeply hurt the shepherd had been. He followed the trail for a long time. Finally, in the distance, he saw the shepherd.

Moses approached him slowly. “My dear shepherd,” he said gently.

The shepherd turned around but did not speak. Moses continued,

“I have come to tell you that I was wrong.” The shepherd looked surprised. “God Himself has corrected me,” Moses said. “He told me that I should never have stopped you from speaking to Him in your own way.” The shepherd listened carefully.

Moses continued:

“Your words came from love. God knows what is in your heart. He does not want you to copy someone else’s prayer. He wants you to speak to Him sincerely. “Pray in whatever way feels natural to you. Speak to Him with the love that is already inside you. You do not need complicated words to reach God.”

The shepherd slowly raised his face. Something had changed within himHe had gone through sorrow, confusion, and pain, but now he understood something deeper. He understood that his relationship with God was not about finding the perfect words. It was about love.

Moses too had learned an important lesson.

Discussion Points

1. The Lesson from Moses Perspective: Look Beyond the Surface

Outer rituals and formal manners do not define a person's spirituality. What may appear clumsy or informal from the outside can originate from a completely pure heart—and it is this inner purity, not adherence to superficial rituals that truly connects us to our deeper self and the divine.

2. The Lesson from the Shepherd Perspective: Trust Your Inner Truth

In today's world, people will often judge you based on how you dress, speak, or pray, trying to convince you that your way is not "optimal." However, if you are true to your being, you realize that there is no single optimal path—every sincere path ultimately leads to God. Even when facing scolding or criticism from religious authorities, your inner sincerity should be your guiding light to stay headstrong on your journey without needing external validation. If your love for God is sincere, stay headstrong on your path without letting external scolding derail you.

3. God’s Unusual Lessons: Testing Conviction through Adversity

God often teaches us in unexpected ways. Moses's harsh rebuke was actually a divine test for to see if the Shepherd possessed genuine confidence in his personal connection to God, or if he would abandon it to copy superficial methods. By enduring scolding and wandering desolate in the desert, the Shepherd faced the ultimate trial of faith, emerging with an unwavering confidence in his own devotion that no outside authority could ever shake.When Moses returned to apologize, the Shepherd no longer needed Moses's approval or confirmation—his deep-seated faith had already given him unwavering confidence in his own way of loving God.

STORY CREDIT: This story has been adapted from a story in the six volumes of Masnavi by Jalalu'din Rumi, translated by Maryam Mafi