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2
2502-2551

  • Oh, come, for of our cloth-piece (only) a single thread remains we were a city, and (only) a single wall remains.
  • (Save) the remnant, (save) the remnant, O Sovereign, that the soul of the Devil may not rejoice entirely––
  • Not for our sakes, (but) for the sake of the primal grace through which Thou didst seek out them that had lost the way.
  • As Thou hast shown Thy power, (so now) show Thy mercy, O Thou who hast implanted feelings of mercy in flesh and fat. 2505
  • If this prayer increase Thy wrath, do Thou teach (us) to pray, O Lord,
  • Even as, (when) Adam fell from Paradise, Thou gavest him (leave) to turn (in penitence) toward Thee, so that he escaped from the ugly Devil.”
  • Who is the Devil that he should surpass Adam and win the game from him on such a board?
  • In truth, it all turned out to Adam’s advantage: that guile became a curse to the envious one.
  • He (the Devil) saw one game, (but) he did not see two hundred games (which he should lose): therefore he cut down the supports of his own house. 2510
  • He set fire by night to the cornfield of others; (meanwhile) O wind, drive the fire into his field!
  • The (Divine) curse was a blind to the Devil, so that he regarded that trickery (of his) as harm to (his) enemy.
  • The (Divine) curse is that which makes him (any one) see falsely, and makes him envious, self-conceited, and malicious,
  • To the end that he may not know that whoever does evil, it (that evil) will at last come back and smite him.
  • He sees all the master-moves invertedly: (hence) they result in check-mate to him and (in) failure and defeat. 2515
  • (The curse blinds him), because, if he regard himself as naught, (if) he regard the wound (his moral and spiritual blindness) as deadly and festering,
  • Pain will arise from such looking within, and the pain will bring him out from the veil (of self-conceit).
  • Until mothers are overtaken by the pains of childbirth, the child finds no way to be born.
  • This (God-given) trust is in the heart, and the heart is pregnant (with it): these counsels (of the prophets and saints) are like the midwife.
  • The midwife may say that the woman has no pain; (but) pain is necessary, pain is (makes) a way for the child (to be born). 2520
  • He that is without pain is a brigand, because to be without pain is to say “I am God.”
  • To say that “I” out of the (proper) time is a curse (to the speaker); to say that “I” at the (proper) time is a mercy (from God).
  • The “I” of Mansúr (Halláj) certainly became a mercy; the “I” of Pharaoh became a curse. Mark (this)!
  • Consequently, it is incumbent (on us) to behead every untimely bird (every cock that crows too soon), in order to give notice (warning).
  • What is “beheading”? Killing the fleshly soul in the holy (spiritual) war, and renouncing heat (sensual appetite). 2525
  • Just as you would extract the scorpion’s sting in order that it might be saved from being killed,
  • (Or) pull out the venomous fang of a snake, in order that the snake might escape from the calamity of being stoned (to death).
  • Nothing will slay the fleshly soul except the shadow (protection) of the Pír: grasp tightly the skirt of that slayer of the flesh.
  • When you grasp (it) tightly, that is (done by) the aid of Him (God): whatever strength comes into you is (the effect of) His drawing (you towards Him).
  • Know that true is (the text) thou didst not throw when thou threwest: whatsoever the soul soweth is from the Soul of the soul. 2530
  • He is the One that takes the hand (to help), and (He is) burden-bearing (long-suffering): have hope, from moment to moment, of (receiving) that breath (of inspiration) from Him.
  • ‘Tis no harm if you have remained long without Him: you have read that He is long in gripping (sinners), (though) gripping (them) tight.
  • His Mercy is long in gripping, (but) grips tight: His Presence does not keep you absent (from Him) for one moment.
  • If you desire the explanation of this union and friendship, read thoughtfully (the Súra) Wa’l-Duhá (By the Morn).
  • And if you say that evils too are from Him, (that is true), but how is it a defect in His grace? 2535
  • (His) bestowing that evil is even His perfection: I will tell you a parable (in illustration), O respected one.
  • A painter made two kinds of pictures––beautiful pictures and pictures devoid of beauty.
  • He painted Joseph and fair-formed houris, he painted ugly afreets and devils.
  • Both kinds of pictures are (evidence of) his mastery: those (ugly ones) are not (evidence of) his ugliness; they are (evidence of) his bounty.
  • He makes the ugly of extreme ugliness––it is invested with all (possible) uglinesses–– 2540
  • In order that the perfection of his skill may be displayed, (and that) the denier of his mastery may be put to shame.
  • And if he cannot make the ugly, he is deficient (in skill) hence He (God) is the Creator of (both) the infidel and the sincere (faithful).
  • From this point of view, then, (both) infidelity and faith are bearing witness to His Lordliness, and both are bowing down in worship.
  • But know that the faithful (believer) bows down willingly, because he is seeking (God’s) pleasure and aiming (at that).
  • The infidel too is a worshipper of God, (though) unwillingly; but his aim is (directed towards) another object of desire. 2545
  • (It is true that) he keeps the King’s fortress in good repair; but he is claiming to be in command.
  • He has become a rebel, to the intent that it may be his domain; (but) verily, in the end the fortress comes to be the King’s.
  • The faithful believer keeps that fortress in good repair for the sake of the King, not for place (and power).
  • The ugly one (the infidel) says, “O King who createst the ugly, Thou art able for (able to create) the beautiful as well as the despicable (and) ugly.”
  • The beautiful one (the faithful believer) says, “O King of beauty and comeliness, Thou hast made me free from defects.” 2550
  • How the Prophet, God bless and save him, gave injunctions to the sick man and taught him to pray.
  • The Prophet said to the sick man: “Say thus:––‘O Thou that makest easy that which is hard,