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  • I deem not that good-minded one malicious: I (rather) suspect my own person.
  • Maybe, he sees in me faults I do not see in myself, O King.” 880
  • Any one saw his own faults before (seeing those of others) —how should he be unconcerned with correcting himself?
  • These people (of the world) take no heed of themselves, O father: consequently they blame one another.
  • O idolater (dualist), (if) I do not behold my own face (reality), I behold thy face and thou beholdest mine.
  • He that beholds his own face (reality)—his light is greater than the light of the creatures (of God).
  • Though he die, his sight is everlasting, because his sight is the sight of the Creator. 885
  • That light by which he sensibly beholds his own face (reality) before him, is not the light of sense.
  • The King said, “Now tell his (your fellow-servant's) faults, just as he spoke of yours,
  • That I may know whether you are solicitous for me and a (good) house-steward of my property and business.”
  • He replied, “O King, I will tell his faults, though he is to me a pleasing fellow-servant.
  • His faults are affection and loyalty and humanity; his faults are sincerity and keen wittedness and cordial comradeship. 890
  • His least fault is generosity and bounty—the generosity that even gives up life.”
  • God has brought to view myriads of lives (in return for the life given up): what generosity would there be (in him) that saw not those?
  • And if he saw them, how should he grudge his life? How should he become so grieved for the sake of one life?
  • On the river-bank, water is grudged by him (alone) that is blind to the stream of water.
  • The Prophet said, “Whosoever knows for sure his recompense on the day of Resurrection— 895
  • That his compensation will be ten for one—at every moment a different (act of) munificence will issue from him.”
  • All munificence is from seeing compensations; therefore seeing the compensation is opposed to fearing (and shrinking from the act of munificence).
  • Miserliness consists in not seeing compensations: the prospect of pearls keeps the divers glad.
  • Hence no one in the world is miserly, since no one hazards anything without (seeing) what is to be received in exchange.
  • Generosity, then, comes from the eye, not from the hand: ’tis seeing that matters; none but the seer is saved. 900
  • “Another fault (of his is) that he is not self-conceited; he is anxious to find fault with his self-existence.
  • He has (always) been one who speaks in blame of himself and seeks to blame himself; he has (always) been good (kind) to all and bad (unkind) to himself.”
  • The King said, “Do not show (such) eagerness in praising your friend, do not introduce praise of yourself in the mask of (your) praise of him;
  • Because I will bring him to the test, and shame will befall you in the upshot.”
  • How the slave, from the purity of his thought, swore to the truth and loyalty of his friend.
  • He said, “Nay, by Allah, and by the great God, the possessor of kingdom, and by the Merciful and Compassionate One; 905
  • By the God who sent the prophets, not in (His) need (of them), but in grace and majesty;
  • By the Lord who from the lowly earth created (those) glorious princely riders,
  • (And) purified them from the temperament of earthly beings, and caused them to outrun the celestials;
  • (By Him) who took up from the Fire and fashioned into pure Light—and then it outstripped all (the other) lights—
  • That splendour of lightning which shone over the spirits, so that Adam gained from that Light (his) knowledge (of God). 910
  • The hand of Seth gathered that which grew from Adam: therefore Adam, when he saw that (Light in him), made him his vicar.
  • Since Noah had enjoyment of that Jewel, he showered pearls (of Divine wisdom) in the air of the Sea of Soul.
  • From (possession of) that mighty radiance the spirit of Abraham went fearlessly into the flames of the fire.
  • When Ismá‘íl (Ishmael) fell into the stream thereof, he laid his head before his (Abraham's) flashing knife.
  • The soul of David was heated by its rays: iron became soft in his hand-loom. 915
  • When Solomon was suckled on (the milk of) union with it, the demon became a thrall to his command and obedient.
  • When Jacob bowed his head (in submission) to the (Divine) destiny, it (the Light) illumined (gladdened) his eye with the scent of his (lost) son.
  • When the moon-faced Joseph beheld that Sun, he became so wide-awake (wise) in the interpretation of dreams.
  • When the rod drank water (was imbued with the influence of the Light) from the hand of Moses, it made one mouthful of Pharaoh's empire.
  • When Jesus, the son of Mary, found its ladder, he sped to the topmost height of the Fourth Dome (of Heaven). 920
  • When Mohammed gained that Kingdom and Felicity, he in a moment clave the disk of the moon in two halves.
  • When Abú Bakr became a signal example of (God's) favour, he became the Companion of such a King (as Mohammed) and (received the name) Siddíq.
  • When ‘Umar became distraught with that Beloved, he became a Fárúq (discerner), like the heart, between truth and falsehood.
  • When ‘Uthmán became the fountain of that clear (Essence), he was light overflowing and became Dhu ’l-Núrayn (Lord of the Two Lights).
  • When at (the sight of) its countenance Murtazá (‘Alí) began to scatter pearls (of spiritual truth), he became the Lion of God in the pasture of the soul. 925
  • When Junayd received that support (which he received) from its army, his maqámát (stages of progress in the mystical life) became innumerable.
  • Báyazíd saw the way into its superabundance, and heard from God (heard God bestow upon him) the name, “Pole of the Gnostics.”
  • When Karkhí became the guard of its city, he became the vicar of (Divine) love and inspired by the Divine breath.