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5
721-770

  • Although the thief is (engaged) in hunting articles of property, (yet) the prefect of police with (the thief's) enemies is behind him (on his track).
  • His mind is occupied with chattels and lock and door: he is heedless of the prefect and of the outcry (that will arise) at dawn.
  • He is so absorbed in his passion (for gain) he gives no heed to his seekers and pursuers.
  • If the herbage is drinking pure water, (yet) afterwards an animal's belly will feed on it.
  • That grass is devouring and devoured: even so (is) everything that exists except God. 725
  • Since He is (the subject of the text) and He feedeth you and is not fed, God is not devouring and devoured, (like) flesh and skin.
  • How should that which is devouring and devoured be secure from a devourer who dwells in a (secret) hiding-place?
  • The security of those who are (liable to be) devoured brings mourning in its train: go to the Portal of Him who is not fed.
  • Every phantasy is devouring another phantasy: (one) thought feeds on another thought.
  • Thou canst not be delivered from any phantasy or fall asleep so as to escape from it (altogether). 730
  • (Thy) thoughts are (like) hornets, and thy sleep is (like) the water (in which thou art plunged): when thou awakest, the flies (hornets) come back,
  • And many hornet-like phantasies fly in and (now) draw thee this way and (now) take thee that way.
  • This (mental) phantasy is the least of the devourers: the Almighty knows (how great are) the others.
  • Hark, flee from the troop of huge devourers towards Him who hath said, ‘We are thy protector’;
  • Or towards one who has gained that (power of) protection, if thou canst not hasten towards the Protector (Himself). 735
  • Do not surrender thy hand save to the hand of the Pír (spiritual director); (for) God hath become the aider of his hand.
  • The Pír (Elder), (which is) thy intellect, has become childish from being a neighbour to the carnal soul which is in the veil (of sensuality).
  • Associate the perfect intelligence (of the spiritual director) with thy (imperfect) understanding, in order that thy understanding may return (withdraw itself) from that evil disposition.
  • When thou layest thy hand in his, then thou wilt escape from the hand of the devourers,
  • And thy hand will become one of the Covenanters above whose hands is the Hand of Allah. 740
  • When thou hast put thy hand in the hand of the Pír, the Pír of wisdom who is knowing and eminent,
  • Who is the prophet of his own time, O disciple, so that the Light of the Prophet is manifested by him,
  • By this means thou hast been present at Hudaybiya and hast been associated with the Companions who took the Covenant.
  • Therefore thou hast become one of the ten Friends to whom the glad tidings were given, and hast been made pure like sterling gold.
  • (This is) to the end that communion may be made perfect; for a man is united with that one whom he has made his friend. 745
  • He is with him in this world and in that (other) world; and this is the (meaning of) the Hadíth of sweet-natured Ahmad (Mohammed),
  • (Who) said, ‘A man is with him whom he loves’: the heart is not severed from its object of desire.
  • Do not sit in any place where there is a trap and bait: O thou who regardest (others) as weak, go, consider (what becomes of) those who regard (others) as weak.
  • O thou who regardest the weak as weak (and at thy mercy), know this, (that) there is a hand above thy hand, O youth.
  • Thou art weak (thyself) and thou regardest (others) as weak. Oh, wonderful! Thou art at once the prey and the hunter in pursuit (of the prey). 750
  • Be not (one of those described in the Verse) before and behind them (We will set) a barrier, so that thou canst not see the enemy, though the enemy is manifest.
  • The greed of hunting makes (one) oblivious of being a prey: he (the hunter) tries to win hearts (though) he has lost his own.
  • Be not thou inferior to a bird in (thy) seeking: (even) a sparrow sees (what is) before and behind.
  • When it approaches the grain (bait), at that moment it turns its head and face several times to front and rear,
  • (As though to say), ‘Oh, I wonder whether there is a fowler in front of me or behind, so that for fear of him I should abstain from this food.’ 755
  • Do thou see behind (thee) the story of (what happened to) the wicked; see before (thee) the death of (many a) friend and neighbour,
  • Whom He (God) destroyed without (using) any instrument: He is close to thee in every circumstance.
  • God inflicted torment (on them), and there is no mace or hand (employed): know, then, that God is one who deals justice (inflicts chastisement) without hands.
  • He who was saying, ‘If God exists, where is He?’ was confessing on the rack (of pain) that ’tis He (God).
  • He who was saying, ‘This is far-fetched and marvellous’ was shedding tears and crying, ‘O Thou who art nigh!’ 760
  • Since he has deemed it necessary to flee from the trap, (’tis strange that) the trap for thee is in fact stuck fast to thy (gaudy) feathers.
  • I will tear out the pin of this ill-fated trap: I will not suffer bitter grief for the sake of (indulging) a desire.
  • I have given thee this answer (which is) suitable to thy understanding: apprehend (its meaning) and do not avert thy face from seeking.
  • Snap this cord, which is greed and envy: remember (the text) on her neck a cord of palm-fibres.”
  • The reason why Khalíl (Abraham), on whom be peace, killed the crow, indicating (thereby) the subjugation of certain blameworthy and pernicious qualities in the disciple.
  • There is no end and completion to this discourse. O Friend of God, why didst thou kill the crow? 765
  • Because of the (Divine) command. What was the wisdom of the (Divine) command? A small part of the mysteries thereof must (now) be shown.
  • The cawing and noisy cry of the black crow is ever asking for (long) life in this world.
  • Like Iblís, it (the crow) besought the holy and incomparable God for bodily life till the Resurrection.
  • He (Iblís) said, “Grant me a respite till the Day of Retribution.” Would that he had said, “We repent, O our Lord.”
  • Life without repentance is all agony of spirit: to be absent from God is present (instant) death. 770