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6
4796-4845

  • ’Tis best for a man to be killed (mortified) in tribulation: the carnal soul is an ingrate and one that has gone astray.
  • How God addressed Azrael, saying, “Of all these creatures whose souls thou hast seized, whom didst thou pity most?” and the answer given by Azrael to the Lord.
  • God was saying to Azrael, “O marshal, whom of all the miserable ones didst thou pity (most)?”
  • He replied, “My heart burns with grief for them all, but I am afraid to neglect the (Divine) command,
  • So that I should say, ‘Would that God might sacrifice me in exchange for the (generous) youth!’”
  • God asked, “For whom didst thou feel the greatest pity? On account of whom was thy heart most filled with flame and grilled?” 4800
  • “One day,” said he, “by (Thy) command I wrecked a ship on the fierce waves, so that it went to pieces.
  • Then Thou bad’st me take the souls of them all, except one woman and one child belonging to that company.
  • The twain were left on a plank, and the plank was being driven on by the waves.
  • Then Thou saidst, ‘Take the mother's soul and leave the child alone in obedience to the command Be!’
  • When I parted the child from its mother, Thou thyself knowest how bitter ’twas to me. 4805
  • Often have I seen sighs (heaved) in great mournings, (but) the bitter grief of that child has never gone from my recollection.”
  • God said, “Of My grace I bade the waves cast that child into a forest—
  • A forest abounding in lilies and sweet basils and roses, full of trees laden with fruit good to eat,
  • And fountains of sweet limpid water. I fostered the child with a hundred endearments.
  • Myriads of melodious singing-birds poured forth a hundred songs in that garden. 4810
  • I made for him a couch of wild-rose leaves; I made him secure from the shock of afflictions.
  • I told the sun not to scorch him; I told the wind to blow on him gently;
  • I told the clouds not to rain upon him; I told the lightning not to dart at him.
  • I said, ‘O December, do not cut off the mild weather from this orchard; O November, do not let thy fist fall on this garden.’”
  • The miracles of Shaybán Rá‘í, may God sanctify his venerable spirit!
  • Just as Shaybán Rá‘í (the shepherd), because of the froward wolf, used to draw a line round his flock at the hour of the Friday prayers, 4815
  • In order that no sheep should go beyond that line, and that no wolf or mischievous robber should come inside.
  • ’Twas on the model of Húd's circle of refuge, in which his followers were safe from the sarsar wind.
  • (Húd said to them), “Stay quietly within this line for eight days and view the terrible mutilation (which is being inflicted) outside.”
  • It (the wind) lifted (the unbelievers) into the air and flung them on the stones, so that flesh and bone were torn asunder.
  • One party it hurled against each other in the air, so that their bones crumbled like poppy-seed. 4820
  • There is no room in the Mathnawí to describe fully that chastisement whereat Heaven trembled.
  • If, O icy wind, thou art doing this by (thine own) nature, (then) try to invade the line and circle drawn by Húd!
  • O natural philosopher, perceive that this kingdom (of God) is above Nature, or else come and (if thou canst) wipe out this (narrative) from the Holy Book!
  • Prohibit those who recite the Qur’án (professionally) and impose a ban (upon them), or punish the teacher and put terror into him!
  • Thou art helpless and unable to understand the cause of this helplessness: thy helplessness is a reflexion (foretaste) of the Day of Retribution. 4825
  • O perverse man, thou hast many a helpless plight before thee: (when) the hour comes, lo, the hide-aways will emerge!
  • Happy is he whose (spiritual) food is this helplessness and bewilderment and who in both worlds is sleeping in the shadow (protection) of the Beloved.
  • He (such an one) is conscious of being helpless both in the stable (of the present life) and in the last (future) state: he is dead (to self), he has adopted “the old women's religion.”
  • (He is) like Zalíkhá, (who), when Joseph beamed upon her, found the way from decrepitude to youth.
  • Life depends on dying (to self) and on suffering tribulation: the Water of Life is in the (Land of) Darkness. 4830
  • Resuming the Story of the most High God's bringing up Nimrod in his childhood without the intervention of mother and nurse.
  • “In short, that garden, like the (spiritual) orchard of gnostics, was secure from the simoom and the sarsar wind.
  • A leopardess (there) had newly given birth to cubs: I bade her give milk to him (Nimrod), and she obeyed.
  • So she gave him milk and tended him till he grew up and became strong and valiant.
  • When he was weaned, I told the peris (Jinn) to teach him how to discourse and deal justice.
  • I gave him nourishment from that garden: how should (the description of) My artfulness be contained in words. 4835
  • I bestowed on Job a father's love in order that he might entertain the worms hospitably and do them no harm.
  • I bestowed on the worms love for him like that of children for their father. Look, here is (a token of My) Power, here is (a token of My) Hand!
  • I have taught mothers to care (for their children): how (infinite) must be the kindness that I have kindled!
  • (Unto him) I showed a hundred favours and (knit) a hundred ties (of obligation), that he might experience My kindness directly,
  • And not be distracted by any secondary cause, to the end that every call for help should be made by him to Me, 4840
  • Or at least that he should have no excuse (for turning elsewhere) and no occasion to complain of any evil companion.
  • He enjoyed this tender care (cemented) by a hundred ties, for I fostered him (Myself) without an intermediary.
  • His thanks, O honoured servant, were this, that he became Nimrod and the burner of Khalíl (Abraham)”—
  • Just as this prince, in return for the favours of the King, showed arrogance and sought to aggrandise himself,
  • Saying, “Why should I become the follower of another when I possess empire and new (splendid) fortune?” 4845