Book IV

He illustrates this by the reply made to the angel Gabriel by Abraham when he was cast into the fire by Nimrod. 4 Gabriel asked him if he could assist him, and Abraham answered, "No! I have no need of your help." When one has attained union with God he has no need of intermediaries. Prophets and apostles are needed as links to connect ordinary men with God, but he who hears the "inner voice" within him has no need to listen to outward words, even of apostles. Although that intercessor is himself dwelling in God, yet my state is higher and more lovely than his. Though he is God's agent, yet I desire not his intercession to save me from evil sent me by God, for evil at God's hand seems to me good. What seems mercy and kindness to the vulgar seems wrath and vengeance to God-intoxicated saints. God's severity and chastisements serve to exalt his saints, though they make the vulgar more ungodly than before, even as the water of the Nile was pure water to the Israelites, but blood to the Egyptians. Moses asks the Almighty, "Why hast Thou made men to destroy them?" 5 Moses said, "O Lord of the day of account, Thou makest forms; wherefore, then, destroyest Thou them? Thou makest charming forms, both men and women; Wherefore, then, dost Thou lay them waste?" God answered, "I know that this query of thine Proceeds not from negation or vain curiosity. Otherwise I should chastise and punish thee;

Otherwise I should chastise and punish thee; Yea, I should rebuke thee for this question. But thou seekest to discover in my actions The ruling principle and the eternal mystery, In order to inform the people thereof, And to make 'ripe' every 'raw' person. Yea, O messenger, thou questionest me that I may reveal My ways to the people, though thou knowest them. O Moses, go and sow seed in the ground In order to do justice to this question." When Moses had sowed and his seed had grown up, He took a sickle and reaped the corn, And then a divine voice reached his ears: "Why hast thou sown and nurtured the corn, And then cut it down directly it was ripe?" Moses replied, "Lord, I cut it and lay it low Because here I have grain and straw. Grain is out of place in the straw-yard, And straw is useless in the wheat-barn. 'Tis wrong to mix these two, It is needful to sift them one from the other." God said, "From whom learnest thou this knowledge Whereby thou hast constructed a threshing-floor?" Moses said, "O Lord, Thou hast given me discernment." God said, "Then have not I also discernment? Amongst my creatures there are pure spirits, And also dark and befouled spirits. The oyster-shells are not all of the same value; Some contain pearls, and others black stones. It is needful to discern the bad from the good, Just as much as to sift wheat from straw. The people of this world exist in order to manifest

The people of this world exist in order to manifest And to disclose the 'hidden treasure.' Read, 'I was a hidden treasure, and desired to be known; Hide not the hidden treasure, but disclose it. Your true treasure is hidden under a false one, Just as butter is hidden within the substance of milk. The false one is this transitory body of yours, The true one your divine soul. Long time this milk is exposed to view, And the soul's butter is hidden and of no account. Stir up your milk assiduously with knowledge, So that what is hidden in it may be disclosed; Because this mortal is the guide to immortality, As the cries of revellers indicate the cup-bearer." *NOTES: 1. Koran viii. 17. 2. See Gulshan i Raz, I. 120. 3. Koran ii. 29. 4. See Koran xxi. 68, and the Commentators thereon. 5. So Job x. 8: " Thy hands have made me, yet Thou dost destroy me." STORY VIII. The Prince who, after having been beguiled by a Courtesan, returned to his True Love. A certain king dreamed that his dearly beloved son, a youth of great promise, had come to an untimely end. On awaking he was rejoiced to find that his son was still alive; but he reflected that an accident might carry him off at any moment, and therefore decided to marry him without delay, in order that the succession might be secured. Accordingly he chose the daughter of a pious Darvesh as a bride for his son, and made preparations for the wedding. But his wife and the other ladies of his harem did not approve of the match, considering it below the dignity of the prince to marry the daughter of a beggar. The king rebuked them, saying that a Darvesh who had renounced worldly wealth for the sake of God was not to be confounded with an ordinary beggar, and insisted on the consummation of the marriage. After the marriage the prince refused to have anything to do with his bride, though she was very fair to look on, and he carried on an intrigue with an ugly old woman who had bewitched him by sorcery. After a year, however, the king found some physicians who succeeded in breaking the spell, and the prince returned to his senses, and his eyes were opened to the superior attractions of his wife, and he renounced his ugly paramour and fell in love with his wife. This is a parable, the true wife being the Deity, the old paramour the world, and the physicians the prophets and saints. Another illustration is a child who played at besieging a mimic fort with his fellows, and succeeded in capturing it and keeping the others out. At this moment God "bestowed on him wisdom, though a child," 1 and it became to him a day "when a man flees from his brethren," 2 and he recognized the emptiness of this idle sport, and engaged in the pursuit of holiness and piety. This is followed by an anecdote of a devotee who had so concentrated his thoughts on things above that he was utterly careless of all earthly troubles, and was cheerful and rejoicing even in the midst of a severe famine.

The world is the outward form of "Universal Reason" (Muhammad), and he who grieves him must expect trouble in the world. 3 The whole world is the outward form of Universal Reason, For it is the father of all creatures of reason. When a man acts basely towards Universal Reason, Its form, the world, shows its teeth at him. Be loyal to this father and renounce disobedience, That this earthy house may furnish you golden carpets. Then the judgment-day will be the "cash of your state," Earth and heavens will be transfigured before you. 4 I am ever in concord with this father of ours, And earth ever appears to me as a Paradise. Each moment a f1~esh form, a new beauty, So that weariness vanishes at these ever-fresh sights. I see the world filled with blessings, Fresh waters ever welling up from new fountains. The sound of those waters reaches my ears, My brain and senses are intoxicated therewith. Branches of trees dancing like fair damsels, Leaves clapping hands like singers. These glories are a mirror shining through a veil; If the mirror were unveiled, how would it be? I tell not one in a thousand of them, Because every ear is stopped with doubt. To men of illusions these tales are mere good tidings, But men of knowledge deem them not tidings, but ready cash. This is illustrated by an anecdote of Ezra or 'Uzair and his sons.5 On his return from Babylon, whither he had been carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar, Ezra beheld the ruins of Jerusalem, and he said, "How shall God give life to this city after it hath been dead?" And God caused him to die for a hundred years, and then raised him again to life, and said to him, "How long hast thou waited?" He said, "I have waited a day." God said, "Nay, thou hast waited a hundred years. Look at the dead bones of thine ass; we will raise them and clothe them with flesh." Ezra was raised from the dead as a young man, whereas his sons were then, of course, very old men. They met him, and asked if he had seen their father. He replied, "I have seen him; he is coming." Some of them rejoiced, considering this good news; but others, who had loved him more dearly, knew him and fainted with joy. What was mere good tidings to the men of opinion was the "ready money of their state" to men of real knowledge.

*NOTES: 1. Koran xix. 13. 2. Koran lxxx. 34. 3. "Aql i Kull, Universal Reason, or the Logos, was identified with the prophet Muhammad." 4. Koran xiv. 49. 5. This story comes from Koran ii. 261. STORY IX. The Mule and the Camel. A mule said to a camel, "How is it that I am always stumbling and falling down, whilst you never make a false step?" The camel replied, "My eyes are always directed upwards, and I see a long way before me, while your eyes look down, and you only see what is immediately under your feet." The mule admitted the truth of the camel's statement, and besought him to act as his guide in future, and the camel consented to do so. Just so partial reason cannot see beyond the grave, but real reason looks onward to the day of judgment, and, therefore, is enabled to steer a better course in this world. For this cause, men having only partial reason or mere opinion of their own ought to follow the guidance of the saints, according to the text, "O believers, enter not upon any affair ere God and his Apostle lead the way." 1 Then follows another anecdote of an Egyptian who asked an Israelite to draw water for him from the Nile, because the water of the Nile turned to blood when drawn by an Egyptian. Afterwards the Egyptian asked the Israelite to pray for him, and the Israelite admonished him to renounce his egotism and conceit of his own existence, which blinded his eyes to divine verities. In illustration of this he tells the same story of an adulterous woman, which is known as the "Merchant's Tale" in Chaucer. This woman, desiring to carry on an intrigue with her paramour, climbed up a pear-tree to gather the fruit, and when she had reached the top she looked down, and pretended that she saw her husband misconducting himself with another woman. The husband assured her there was no one but himself there, and desired her to come down and see for herself. She came down and admitted there was no one there. Her husband then, at her request, ascended the tree, and she at once called her paramour, and began to amuse herself with him. Her husband saw her from his post in the tree, and began to abuse her; but she declared there was no man with her, and that the pear-tree made her husband see double, just as it had made her see double previously.

The evolution of man. First he appeared in the class of inorganic things, 2 Next he passed therefrom into that of plants. For years he lived as one of the plants, Remembering naught of his inorganic state so different; And when he passed from the vegetive to the animal state He had no remembrance of his state as a plant, Except the inclination he felt to the world of plants, Especially at the time of spring and sweet flowers. Like the inclination of infants towards their mothers, Which know not the cause of their inclination to the breast, Or the excessive inclination of young disciples Towards their noble and illustrious teachers. The disciple's partial reason comes from that Reason, The disciple's shadow is from that bough. When the shadows in the disciples cease, They know the reason of their attachment to the teachers. For, O fortunate one, how can the shadow move, Unless the tree that casts the shadow move as well? Again, the great Creator, as you know, Drew man out of the animal into the human state. Thus man passed from one order of nature to another, Till he became wise and knowing and strong as he is now. Of his first souls he has now no remembrance, And he will be again changed from his present soul. In order to escape from his present soul full of lusts He must behold thousands of reasonable souls. Though man fell asleep and forgot his previous states, Yet God will not leave him in this self-forgetfulness;

Yet God will not leave him in this self-forgetfulness; And then he will laugh at his own former state Saying, " What mattered my experiences when asleep? When I had forgotten my prosperous condition, And knew not that the grief and ills I experienced Were the effect of sleep and illusion and fancy? In like manner this world, which is only a dream. Seems to the sleeper as a thing enduring for ever But when the morn of the last day shall dawn, The sleeper will escape from the cloud of illusion; Laughter will overpower him at his own fancied grieves When he beholds his abiding home and place. Whatever you see in this sleep, both good and evil, Will all be exposed to view on the resurrection day. Whatever you have done during your sleep in the world Will be displayed to you clearly when you awake. Imagine not that these ill deeds of yours exist not In this sleep of yours, and will not be revealed to you. But your present laughter will turn to weeping and woe On the day of revealing, O you who oppress captives! Your present wailing and sorrow and grieves, On the other hand, will be joy when you awake, O you, who have rent the garments of many Josephs, You will rise from your heavy sleep as a wolf. Your bad qualities will rise in the shape of wolves And rend you limb from limb in vengeance. By the law of retaliation blood sleeps not after death; Say not, "I shall die and obtain pardon."

Say not, "I shall die and obtain pardon." The retaliation of this world is illusive, It is mere sport compared to the retaliation to come. Therefore God calls the world "a pastime and a sport," 3 For punishment in this world is sport compared to that. Here punishment is as the repression of quarrels, There it is as castration or circumcision. But this discourse is endless, O Moses, Go and leave these asses to their grazing! Let them fatten themselves with the food they love, For they are very wolves and objects of my wrath. Zu'l Qarnain at Mount Qaf. 4 Zu'l Qarnain journeyed to Mount Qaf; He saw it was formed of a bright emerald, Forming as it were a ring round the world, Whereat all people are filled with wonder. He said, "Thou mighty hill, what are other hills? Before thee they are mere playthings." The Mount replied, "Those hills are my veins, But they are not like me in beauty and importance. A hidden vein from me runs to every city, The quarters of the world are bound to my veins. When God desires an earthquake under any city, He bids me shake one of my veins. Then in anger I shake that vein Which is connected with that particular city. When He says, 'Enough,' my vein remains still, I remain still, and then haste to perform my work. Now still like a plaster, and now operating; Now still like thought, and then speaking my thought. But they who are void of reason imagine That these earthquakes proceed from earth's vapors."

That these earthquakes proceed from earth's vapors." Just so an ant who saw a pen writing on paper, Delivered himself to another ant in this way 'That pen is making very wonderful figures, Like hyacinths and lilies and roses.' The other said, 'The finger is the real worker, The pen is only the instrument of its working.' A third ant said, ' No; the action proceeds from the arm, The weak finger writes with the arm's might.' So it went on upwards, till at last A prince of the ants, who had some wit Said, 'Ye regard only the outward form of this marvel, Which form becomes senseless in sleep and death. Form is only as a dress or a staff in the hand, It is only from reason and mind these figures proceed.' But he knew not that this reason and mind Would be but lifeless things without God's impulsion. The angel Gabriel appears to the Prophet Muhammad. Mustafa said to the angel Gabriel, "O friend, show me thy form as it really is; Show it to me openly and perceptibly, That I may behold thee with my eyes." Gabriel said, "Thou canst not do so, thou art too weak, Thy senses are exceeding weak and frail." Muhammad said, "Show it, that this body of mine may see To what extent its senses are frail and impotent. True, man's bodily senses are frail, But he possesses within him a mighty property. 5 This body resembles flint and steel, But like them it has the power of kindling fire. Flint and steel are able to generate fire,

Flint and steel are able to generate fire, From them springs fire which can destroy its parents." As he continued importuning him, Gabriel displayed His awful form, whereat the mountains were rent asunder. It occupied the sky from east to west. And Mustafa swooned with fear. When Gabriel beheld him swooning with fear, He came and clasped him in his arms. Address to Husamu-'d-Din. O light of God, Husamu-'d-Din, admit This ass's head into that melon-garden! For when this ass is killed in the slaughter-house That kitchen will bestow upon him a new existence. From me proceeds the form, from thee the spirit; Nay, form and spirit both proceed from thee! Thou art as Muhammad in heaven, O brilliant Sun! Be also as Muhammad on earth forever and ever! So that earth and heaven on high may be united With one heart, one worship, one aspiration! And schism and polytheism and duality disappear, And Unity abide in the Real Spiritual Being! When my spirit recognizes thy spirit, We remember our essential union and origin. *NOTES: 1. Koran xlix. 1. 2. See the parallel passage in Gulshan i Raz, I. 317, and the note. It is based on the Aristotelian doctrine of the ascending grades of the soul, or vital principle. 3. Koran xxix. 64. 4. Zu'l Qarnain, Chaucer's Dulkarn, means "He of the two horns," and here denotes Alexander the Great. 5. See the parallel passage in Gulshan i Raz, I. 431, and the note thereon. This property is the mystic "inner light" or spiritual intuition.