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2
3358-3407

  • You interpret (some canonical text) as an indulgence (authorising you to stay) in the mud, since you are not willing to tear your heart from it.
  • (You say), “This is allowable for me: I am under compulsion. God in His kindness will not chastise a helpless one (like me).”
  • Indeed He has (already) chastised you, (but) like the blind hyena from self-deception you do not see the chastisement. 3360
  • They (the hunters) are saying, "The hyena is not in this place; look for him outside, for he is not in the cave."
  • If the enemy had known of me, how should he have exclaimed, "Where is that hyena'?"
  • The statement of a certain individual that God most High would not punish him for sin, and Shu‘ayb’s answer to him.
  • In the time of Shu‘ayb a certain man was saying, “God hath seen many a fault from me.
  • How many sins and trespasses hath He seen me commit! And (still), God in His kindness does not punish me.” 3365
  • In answer to him God most High by the mysterious way spoke clearly into the ear of Shu‘ayb,
  • Saying, “(Tell him), Thou hast said, ‘How many sins have I committed! And (still) God in His kindness hath not punished me for my trespasses.’
  • Thou art saying the opposite and reverse (of the truth), O fool, O thou that hast abandoned the road and taken to the wilderness!
  • How oft, how oft do I chastise thee, and thou unaware! Thou art lying (bound) in chains from head to foot.
  • Thy rust, coat on coat, O black pot, hath marred the visage of thy heart. 3370
  • Layers of rust have collected upon thy heart, so that it hath become blind to (the spiritual) mysteries.”
  • If that smoke should beat upon a new pot, the traces of it would show, though it were (only as much as) a barley-corn,
  • Because everything is made manifest by (its) contrary: upon a white object the black becomes conspicuous;
  • (But) when the pot has been blackened, then after this who will at once perceive the effect of the smoke upon it?
  • The ironsmith who is an Ethiopian—the smoke is of the same colour as his face; 3375
  • The Greek who does the work of an ironsmith—his face, from gathering smoke, becomes piebald (spotted with black).
  • Therefore he will quickly recognise the effect of sin, so that he will soon lament (and) say, “O God!”
  • (But) when he persists (in sin) and makes a practice of evil, and puts dust in the eye of meditation,
  • He thinks of penitence no more: that sin becomes so sweet to his heart that (in the end) he comes to be without the Faith (he turns infidel).
  • That repenting and (crying) “O Lord!” are gone from him: fivefold rust has settled on the mirror (of his heart). 3380
  • The coats of rust have began to eat his iron (mirror): the rust has begun to lessen its sheen.
  • When you write upon white paper, that writing may be read at sight.
  • When you write script over that which has been (already) written, it is not understood: the reading of it will be erroneous;
  • For that (second) blackness has fallen (been made) upon blackness; (hence) both scripts have become obscure and have given no meaning.
  • And if you write a third time on the top of it, then you make it black as a soul full of wickedness. 3385
  • What help is there, then, but (to take) refuge with (God) the Helper? Despair is copper, and the elixir for it is (God's) regard.
  • Lay your despairs before Him, that ye may escape from irremediable pain.
  • When Shu‘ayb had told him these deep sayings, at that breath of the spirit roses blossomed in his heart.
  • His soul hearkened to the inspiration from Heaven; he said, (however), “If He hath punished me, where is the sign?”
  • He (Shu‘ayb) cried, “O Lord, he rebuts me, he seeks the sign of that punishment.” 3390
  • He (God) said, “I am the Coverer (of sins): I will not tell his secrets, (I will give) but one indication for the sake of trying him.
  • One sign of My punishing him is this, that he has (to his credit) pious acts of fasting and orison
  • And ritual prayer and almsgiving et cetera, but he has not one atom of spiritual savour.
  • He performs high acts and deeds of devotion, but he has not one atom of (spiritual) relish.
  • His devotions are good (in form), but the spirit is not good: the walnuts are many, but there is no kernel therein.” 3395
  • Spiritual savour is required, in order that devotions may yield fruit: a kernel is required, in order that the berry may produce a tree.
  • How shall a berry without kernel become a sapling? The soulless form is naught but phantasy.
  • Remainder of the story of the stranger’s reviling the Shaykh.
  • That malign wretch was gabbling silly nonsense about the Shaykh: the perverted intellect is always squinting (envious).
  • (He said), “I saw him amidst a company (of revellers): he is one denuded and destitute of piety.
  • And if you do not believe it, arise (and go) to-night, that you may see plainly your Shaykh’s depravity.” 3400
  • At night he took him to a window and said, “Behold a (fine) debauch and merry-making!
  • Behold such hypocrisy by day and profligacy by night!––in the daytime (he is) like Mustafá (Mohammed), at night (like) Bú Lahab.
  • By day his name has become ‘Abdullah (the servant of God); by night––God save us! And (see), the wine-cup in his hand!”
  • He (the disciple) saw a full glass in the Shaykh’s hand. “O Shaykh,” said he, “is there a tumour even in thee?
  • Nonne dicebas?— ‘In vini poculo mingit Diabolus festinans lente’.” [Did you not say, ‘The Devil pees into the wine cup quickly (but) without hurry?’] 3405
  • He (the Shaykh) replied, “They have made my cup so full that there is not room in it for a single rue-seed.
  • Look, is there any room here for a single mote? A deluded man has wrongly apprehended this matter.”