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4
894-943

  • Whence should clay have the (power of) imagining this thing? Whence should semen conceive opposition and denial?
  • (Nevertheless) since at that moment thou wert devoid of heart and spirit, thou wert (implicitly) denying (the faculty of) reflection and (the possibility of) denial. 895
  • Since thy (former) denial arose from the state of lifelessness (irrationality), so by this (present) denial (the certainty of) thy resurrection is established.
  • Hence the (appropriate) parable of thee is (a case) like (that of) the person who knocks at the door (of a house), and the master replies to him from within, saying, “The master is not (here).”
  • From this “is not” the person knocking perceives that he is (there), and consequently does not take his hand off the door- ring at all.
  • Therefore the very fact of thy denial is making it clear that He (God) brings about manifold resurrections from lifeless matter.
  • How much (Divine) artifice passed (was expended), O thou denial (incarnate), till the water and clay (of thy original nature) produced denial from (the state signified by the words) Hal atá! 900
  • The water and clay was really saying, “There is no denial” (was really making an affirmation): it was crying, ‘There is no affirmation” (was uttering a denial), unaware (of the fact that its denial was an implicit affirmation).
  • I would expound this (topic) in a hundred ways, but the (reader’s) mind would stumble at the subtle discourse.
  • How Solomon, on whom be peace, devised a plan for bringing the throne of Bilqís from Sabá.
  • A certain ‘Ifrít (demon) said, “By (my) art I will bring her throne here before thy departure from this council.”
  • Ásaf said, “By means of the greatest Name (of God) I will bring it here into thy presence in a single moment.”
  • Though the ‘Ifrít was a master of magic, yet that (miracle) was displayed by the breath (spiritual power) of Ásaf. 905
  • The throne of Bilqís came into the presence instantly, but through Ásaf, not through the art of them that have the (malignant) nature of ‘Ifríts.
  • He (Solomon) said, “Praise to God for this and a hundred such (favours) which I have seen (received) from the Lord of created beings.”
  • Then Solomon turned his eyes towards the throne. “Yes,” he said, “thou art one that catches fools, O tree!”
  • Oh, many are the fools that lay down their heads before wood and graven stone.
  • (Both) the worshipper and the object of worship are ignorant of the spirit; (but) he (the worshipper) has felt a movement and a slight effect of the spirit. 910
  • He has felt, at the moment when he became rapt (in devotion) and bewildered, that the stone spoke and made signs.
  • When the wretched man bestowed his devotion in the wrong place and deemed the lion of stone to be a (real) lion,
  • The real Lion, from kindness, showed munificence and at once threw a bone to the dog,
  • And said, “Although the dog is not in (due) order, yet as regards me the bone is a bounty of which all partake.”
  • Story of Halíma's asking help of the idols when she lost Mustafá (Mohammed)—on whom be peace—after he was weaned, and how the idols trembled and prostrated themselves and bore witness to the grandeur of Mohammed's estate—may God bless and save him!
  • I will tell you the story of Halíma's mystic experience, that her tale may clear away your trouble. 915
  • When she parted Mustafá from (her) milk, she took him up on the palm of her hand as (tenderly as though he were) sweet basil and roses,
  • Causing him to avoid every good or evil (hap), that she might commit that (spiritual) emperor to (the care of) his grandsire.
  • Since she was bringing the (precious) trust in fear (for its safety), she went to the Ka‘ba and came into the Hatím.
  • From the air she heard a cry—“O Hatím, an exceedingly mighty Sun hath shone upon thee.
  • O Hatím, to-day there will suddenly come upon thee a hundred thousand beams from the Sun of munificence. 920
  • O Hatím, to-day there will march into thee with pomp a glorious King, whose harbinger is Fortune.
  • O Hatím, to-day without doubt thou wilt become anew the abode of exalted spirits.
  • The spirits of the holy will come to thee from every quarter in troops and multitudes, drunken with desire.”
  • Halíma was bewildered by that voice: neither in front nor behind was any one (to be seen).
  • (All) the six directions were empty of (any visible) form, and this cry was continuous—may the soul be a ransom for that cry! 925
  • She laid Mustafá on the earth, that she might search after the sweet sound.
  • Then she cast her eye to and fro, saying, “Where is that king that tells of mysteries?
  • For such a loud sound is arriving from left and right. O Lord, where is he that causes it to arrive?”
  • When she did not see (any one), she became distraught and despairing: her body began to tremble like the willow-bough.
  • She came back towards that righteous child: she did not see Mustafá in his (former) place. 930
  • Bewilderment on bewilderment fell upon her heart: from grief her abode became very dark.
  • She ran to the dwellings (hard by) and raised an outcry, saying, “Who has carried off my single pearl?”
  • The Meccans said, “We have no knowledge: we knew not that a child was there.”
  • She shed so many tears and made (so) much lamentation that those others began to weep because of her (grief).
  • Beating her breast, she wept so well (mightily) that the stars were made to weep by her weeping. 935
  • Story of the old Arab who directed Halíma to seek help from the idols.
  • An old man with a staff approached her, saying, “Why, what hath befallen thee, O Halíma,
  • That thou didst let such a fire (of grief) blaze (forth) from thy heart and consume these bowels (of the bystanders) with mourning?”
  • She replied, “I am Ahmad's (Mohammed's) trusted foster-mother, so I brought him (back) to hand him over to his grandsire.
  • When I arrived in the Hatím, voices were coming (down) and I was hearing (them) from the air.
  • When I heard from the air those melodious strains, because of that sound I laid down the infant there, 940
  • To see whose voice is (the origin of) this cry, for it is a very beautiful cry and very delightful.
  • I saw no sign of any one around me: the cry was not ceasing for one moment.
  • When I returned (to my senses) from the bewilderments of my heart, I did not see the child there (where I had left him): alas for my heart!”