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5
217-241

  • (Then) from its interior it raises cries of lamentation, saying, “O God, that which Thou gavest (me) I have given (to others) and am left a beggar.
  • I poured the (whole) capital over pure and impure (alike): O King who givest the capital, is there any more?”
  • He (God) saith to the cloud, “Bear it (the water) to the delectable place; and thou too, O sun, draw it up aloft.”
  • He maketh it to go diverse ways, that He may bring it unto the boundless sea. 220
  • Verily, what is meant by this water is the spirit of the saints, which washes away your dark stains.
  • When it is stained dark by (washing) the treason of the inhabitants of the earth, it returns to Him who endows Heaven with purity.
  • 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!
  • O melodious sweet-voiced Bilál, go up into the minaret, beat the drum of departure.” 225
  • 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.
  • You need the hot bath as an intermediary, so that you may refresh your constitution by (the heat of) the fire. 230
  • 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.
  • These virtues possessed by the water bear witness likewise that its interior is filled with the grace of God. 235
  • 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.
  • He hath no need of fine acts and words: “beware of them (the spiritual physicians), they are spies on (men's) hearts.” 240
  • 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.