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1
729-778

  • A party among the Christians, for the sake of the Divine reward, whenever (in reading the Gospel) they came to that name and allocution,
  • Would bestow kisses on that noble name and stoop their faces towards that beauteous description. 730
  • In this tribulation of which we have told, that party were secure from tribulation and dread,
  • Secure from the mischief of the amírs and the vizier, seeking refuge in the protection of the Name of Ahmad (Mohammed).
  • Their offspring also multiplied: the Light of Ahmad aided and befriended them.
  • And the other party among the Christians (who) were holding the Name of Ahmad in contempt,
  • They became contemptible and despised through dissensions caused by the evil counselling and evil-plotting vizier; 735
  • Moreover, their religion and their law became corrupted in consequence of the scrolls which set forth all perversely.
  • The Name of Ahmad gives such help as this, so that (one may judge) how his Light keeps guard (over his followers).
  • Since the Name of Ahmad became (to the Christians) an impregnable fortress, what then must be the Essence of that trusted Spirit?
  • The story of another Jewish king who endeavored to destroy the religion of Jesus.
  • After this irremediable bloodshed which befell through the affliction (brought upon the Christians) by the vizier,
  • Another king, of the progeny of that Jew, addressed himself to the destruction of the people of Jesus. 740
  • If you desire information about this second outbreak, read the chapter of the Qur’án (beginning): By Heaven which hath the (zodiacal) signs.
  • This second king set foot in the evil way that was originated by the former king.
  • Whosoever establishes an evil way (practice), towards him goes malediction every hour.
  • The righteous departed and their ways remained, and from the vile there remained (nothing but) injustice and execrations.
  • Until the Resurrection, the face of every congener of those wicked men who comes into existence is turned towards that one (who belongs to his own kind). 745
  • Vein by vein is this sweet water and bitter water, flowing in (God's) creatures until the blast of the trumpet (at the Resurrection).
  • To the righteous is the inheritance of the sweet water. What is that inheritance? We have caused (those of Our servants whom We have chosen) to inherit the Book.
  • If you will consider, the supplications of the seekers (of God) are rays (proceeding) from the substance of prophethood.
  • The rays are circling with the substances (whence they spring): the ray goes (ultimately) in the direction where that (substance) is.
  • The window-gleam runs round the house, because the sun goes from sign to sign of the zodiac. 750
  • Any one who has affinity with a star (planet) has a concurrence (of qualities) with his star.
  • If his ascendant star be Venus, his whole inclination and love and desire is for joy;
  • And if he be one born under Mars, one whose nature is to shed blood, he seeks war and malignity and enmity.
  • Beyond the (material) stars are stars in which is no conflagration or sinister aspect,
  • (Stars) moving in other heavens, not these seven heavens (which are) held in high regard, 755
  • (Stars) immanent in the radiance of the light of God, neither joined to each other nor separate from each other.
  • When any one's ascendant (fortune) is from those stars, his soul burns the infidels in driving (them) off.
  • His anger is not (like) the anger of the man born under Mars—going upside down, and of such nature that it is (now) dominant and (now) dominated.
  • The dominant light (of the saints) is secure from defect and dimness between the two fingers of the Light of God.
  • God hath scattered that light over (all) spirits, (but only) the fortunate have held up their skirts (to receive it); 760
  • And he (that is fortunate), having gained that strown largesse of light, has turned his face away from all except God.
  • Whosoever has lacked (such) a skirt of love is left without share in that strown largesse of light.
  • The faces of particulars are set towards the universal: nightingales are in love with the face of the rose.
  • The ox has his colour outside, but in the case of a man seek the red and yellow hues within.
  • The good colours are from the vat of purity; the colour of the wicked is from the black water of iniquity. 765
  • The baptism of God is the name of that subtle colour; the curse of God is the smell of this gross colour.
  • That which is of the sea is going to the sea: it is going to the same place whence it came—
  • From the mountain-top the swift-rushing torrents, and from our body the soul whose motion is mingled with love.
  • How the Jewish king made a fire and placed an idol beside it, saying, “Whoever bows down to this idol shall escape the fire.”
  • Now see what a plan this currish Jew contrived! He set up an idol beside the fire,
  • Saying, “He that bows down to this idol is saved, and if he bow not, he shall sit in the heart of the fire.” 770
  • Inasmuch as he did not give due punishment to this idol of self, from the idol of his self the other idol was born.
  • The idol of your self is the mother of (all) idols, because that (material) idol is (only) a snake, while this (spiritual) idol is a dragon.
  • The self is (as) iron and stone (whence fire is produced), while the (material) idol is (as) the sparks: those sparks are quieted (quenched) by water.
  • (But) how should the stone and iron be allayed by water? How should a man, having these twain, be secure?
  • The idol is the black water hidden in the jug; know that the self is the fountain. 775
  • That sculptured idol is like the black torrent; the idol-making self is a fountain (jetting muddy water) on the Water-way (the Way that leads to the Water of Life).
  • A single piece of stone will break a hundred pitchers, but the fountain-water is making jets incessantly.
  • ’Tis easy to break an idol, very easy; to regard the self as easy (to subdue) is folly, folly.