English    Türkçe    فارسی   

4
3479-3528

  • God said, “Thou seest them looking,” (but) they are (like) the pictures in a bathhouse: they do not see.
  • The form appears, O worshipper of form, as though its two dead eyes were looking. 3480
  • Thou art showing reverence before the eye of the image, saying, “I wonder why it pays no regard to me.
  • Wherefore is this goodly image (so) very irresponsive that it does not say ‘alayk (on thee be peace!) in reply to my salaam?
  • It does not nod its head and moustache generously in regard for my having made a hundred prostrations before it.”
  • God, though He does not nod the head outwardly, (yet) in regard for that (worship of Him) bestows an inward delight,
  • Which is worth two hundred noddings of the head: in this fashion, after all, do Intellect and Spirit nod the head. 3485
  • (If) thou serve Intellect in earnest, the regard of Intellect (for thee) is (shown by this), that it increases (thy) righteousness.
  • God does not nod the head to thee outwardly, but He makes thee a prince over the princes (of the world).
  • To thee God gives secretly something (of such power) that the people of the world bow down before thee,
  • Just as He gave to a stone such virtue that it was honoured by His creatures: that is to say, (it became) gold.
  • (If) a drop of water gain the favour of God, it becomes a pearl and bears away the palm from gold. 3490
  • The body is earth; and when God gave it a spark (of His Light) it became adept, like the moon, in taking possession of the world.
  • Beware! this (worldly empire) is a talisman and a dead image: its eye hath led the foolish astray from the (right) path.
  • It appears to wink: the foolish have made it their support (have put their trust in it).
  • How the Egyptian besought blessing and guidance from the Israelite, and how the Israelite prayed for the Egyptian and received a favourable answer to his prayer from the Most Gracious and Merciful (God).
  • The Egyptian said, “Do thou offer a prayer (for me), since from blackness of heart I have not the mouth (fit for offering an acceptable prayer),
  • For it may be that the lock of this heart will be opened and that a place will be (granted) to this ugly one at the banquet of the beauteous. 3495
  • Through thee the deformed may become endowed with beauty, or an Iblís may again become one of the Cherubim;
  • Or, by the august influence of Mary's hand, the withered bough may acquire the fragrance of musk and freshness and fruit.”
  • Thereupon the Israelite fell to worship and said, “O God who knowest the manifest and the hidden,
  • To whom but Thee should Thy servant lift his hand? Both the prayer and the answer (to prayer) are from Thee.
  • Thou at first givest the desire for prayer, and Thou at last givest likewise the recompense for prayers. 3500
  • Thou art the First and the Last: we between are nothing, a nothing that does not come into (admit of) expression.”
  • He was speaking in this wise, till he fell into ecstasy and his heart became senseless.
  • (Whilst engaged) in prayer, he came back to his senses (and witnessed the effect of his prayer): Man shall have nothing but what he hath wrought.
  • He was (still) praying when suddenly a loud cry and roar burst from the heart of the Egyptian,
  • (Who exclaimed), “Come, make haste and submit (the profession of) the Faith (for my acceptance), that I may quickly cut the old girdle (of unbelief). 3505
  • They have cast a fire into my heart, they have shown affection with (all) their soul for an Iblís (like me).
  • Praise be to God! Thy friendship and (my) not being able to do without thee have succoured me at last.
  • My consortings with thee were (as) an elixir: may thy foot never disappear from the house of my heart!
  • Thou wert a bough of the palm-tree of Paradise: when I grasped it, it bore me to Paradise.
  • That which carried away my body was a torrent: the torrent bore me to the brink of the Sea of Bounty. 3510
  • I went towards the torrent in hope of (obtaining) water: I beheld the Sea and took pearls, bushel on bushel.”
  • He (the Israelite) brought the cup to him, saying, “Now take the water!” “Go,” he replied; “(all) waters have become despicable in my sight.
  • I have drunk such a draught from God hath purchased that no thirst will come to me till the Congregation (at the Last Judgement).
  • He who gave water to the rivers and fountains hath opened a fountain within me.
  • This heart, which was hot and water-drinking—to its high aspiration water has become vile. 3515
  • He (God), for the sake of His servants, became (symbolised by) the (letter) káf of Káfí (All-sufficing), (in token of) the truth of the promise of Káf, Há, Yá, ‘Ayn, Sád.
  • (God saith), ‘I am All-sufficing: I will give thee all good, without (the intervention of) a secondary cause, without the mediation of another's aid.
  • I am All-sufficing: I will give thee satiety without bread, I will give thee sovereignty without soldiers and armies.
  • I will give thee narcissi and wild-roses without the spring, I will give thee instruction without a book and teacher.
  • I am All-sufficing: I will heal thee without medicine, I will make the grave and the pit a (spacious) playing-field. 3520
  • To a Moses I give heart (courage) with a single rod, that he may brandish swords against a multitude.
  • (Such) a light and splendour do I give to the hand of Moses that it is slapping the sun (in triumph).
  • I make the wooden staff a seven-headed dragon, which the female dragon does not (conceive and) bring to birth from the male.
  • I do not mingle blood in the water of the Nile: in sooth by My cunning I make the very essence of its water to be blood.
  • I turn thy joy into sorrow like the (polluted) water of the Nile, so that thou wilt not find the way to rejoicings. 3525
  • Again, when thou art intent on renewing thy faith and abjurest Pharaoh once more,
  • Thou wilt see (that) the Moses of Mercy (has) come, thou wilt see the Nile of blood turned by him into water.
  • When thou keepest safe within (thee) the end of the rope (of faith), the Nile of thy spiritual delight will never be changed into blood.’