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IX
SHOWING THAT
THE EDUCATION OF THE SELF HAS THREE STAGES: OBEDIENCE, SELF-CONTROL, AND DIVINE VICEGERENCE.
1. OBEDIENCE
| SERVICE and toil are traits of the camel, | 815 |
| Patience and perseverance are ways of the camel. | |
| Noiselessly he steps along the sandy track, | |
| He is -the ship of those who voyage in the desert. | |
| Every thicket knows the print of his foot: | |
| He eats seldom, sleeps little, and is inured to toil. | 820 |
| He carries rider, baggage, and litter: | |
| He trots on and on to the journey's end, | |
| Rejoicing in his speed, | |
| More patient in travel than his rider, - | |
| Thou, too, do not refuse the burden of Duty: | 825 |
| So wilt thou enjoy the best dwellingplace, which is with God. | |
| Endeavour to obey, O heedless one! | |
| Liberty is the fruit of compulsion. | |
| By obedience the man of no worth is made worthy; | |
| By disobedience his fire is turned to ashes. | 830 |
| Whoso would master the sun and stars, | |
| Let him make himself a prisoner of Law! | |
| The air becomes fragrant when it is imprisoned in the flower-bud; | |
| The perfume become musk when it is confined in the -navel of the muskdeer. | |
| The star moves towards its goal | 835 |
| With head bowed in surrender to a law. | |
| The grass springs up in obedience to the law of growth: | |
| When it abandons that, it is trodden underfoot. | |
| To burn unceasingly is the law of the tulip. | |
| And so the blood leaps in its veins | 840 |
| Drops of water become a sea by the law of union, | |
| And grains of sand became a Sahara. | |
| Since Law makes everything strong within, | |
| Why dost thou neglect this source of strength? | |
| O thou that art emancipated from the old Custom.66 | 845 |
| Adorn thy feet once more with the same fine silver chain! | |
| Do not complain of the hardness of the Law. | |
| Do not transgress the statutes of Muhammad! |
2. SELF-CONTROL
| Thy soul cares only for itself, like the camel: | |
| It is self-conceited, self-governed, and self-willed. | 850 |
| Be a man, get its halter into thine hand, | |
| That thou mayst become a pearl albeit thou art a potter's vessel. | |
| He that does not command himself | |
| Becomes a receiver of commands from others. | |
| When they moulded thee of clay, | 855 |
| Love and fear were mingled in thy making: | |
| Fear of this world and of the world to come, fear of death, | |
| Fear of all the pains of earth and heaven; | |
| Love of riches and power, love of country, | |
| Love of self and kindred and wife. | 860 |
| Man, in whom clay is mixed with water, is fond of ease, | |
| Devoted to wickedness and enamoured of evil. | |
| So long as thou hold'st the staff of "There is no god but He,"67 | |
| Thou wilt break every spell of fear. | |
| One to whom God is as the soul in his body, | 865 |
| His neck is not bowed before vanity. | |
| Fear finds no way into his bosom, | |
| heart is afraid of none but Allah. | |
| Whoso dwells in the world of Negation.68 | |
| Is freed from the bonds of wife and child. | 870 |
| He withdraws his gaze from all except God | |
| And lays the knife to the throat of his son.69 | |
| Though single, he is like a host in onset: | |
| Life is cheaper in his eyes than wind. | |
| The profession of Faith is the shell, and prayer is the pearl within it: | 875 |
| The Moselm's heart deems prayer a lesser pilgrimage.70 | |
| In the Muslim's hand prayer is like a dagger. | |
| Killing sin and forwardness and wrong. | |
| Fasting makes an assault upon hunger and thirst. | |
| And breaches the citadel of sensuality. | 880 |
| The pilgrimage enlightens the soul of the Faithful: | |
| It teaches separation from one's home and destroys attachment to one's native land; | |
| It is an act of devotion in which all feel themselves to be one, | |
| It binds together the leaves of the book of religion, | |
| Almsgiving causes love of riches to pass away | 885 |
| And makes equality familiar; | |
| It fortifies the heart with righteousness,71 | |
| It increases wealth and diminishes fondness for wealth. | |
| All this is a means of strengthening thee: | |
| Thou art impregnable, if thy Islam be strong. | 890 |
| Draw might from the litany "O Almighty One!" | |
| That thou mayst ride the camel of thy body.72 |
3. DIVINE
VICEGERENCY73
| If thou canst rule thy camel, thou wilt rule the world. | |
| And wear on thine head the crown of Solomon. | |
| Thou wilt be the glory of the world whilst the world lasts, | 895 |
| And thou wilt reign in the kingdom incorruptible. | |
| 'Tin sweet to be God's vicegerent in the world | |
| And -exercise sway over the elements. | |
| God's vicegerent is as the soul of the universe, | |
| His being is the shadow of the Greatest Name. | 900 |
| He knows the mysteries of part and whole, | |
| He executes the command of Allah in the world. | |
| When he pitches his tent in the wide I world. | |
| He rolls up this ancient carpet74 | |
| His genius abounds with life and desires to manifest itself: | 905 |
| He will bring another world into existence. | |
| A hundred worlds like this world of parts and wholes | |
| Spring up, like roses, from the seed of his imagination. | |
| He makes every raw nature ripe, | |
| He puts the idols out of the sanctuary. | |
| Heart-strings give forth music at his touch. | 910 |
| He wakes and sleeps for God alone. | |
| He teaches age the melody of youth | |
| And endows every thing with the radiance of youth. | |
| To the human race he brings both a glad message and a warning, | 915 |
| He comes both as a soldier and as a marshal and prince. | |
| He is the final cause of "God taught Adam the names of all things,"75 | |
| He is the inmost sense of "Glory to Him that transported His servant by night."76 | |
| His white hand is strengthened by the staff.77 | |
| His knowledge is twined with the power of a perfect man. | 920 |
| When that bold- cavalier seizes the reins, | |
| The steed of Time gallops faster. | |
| His awful mien makes the Red Sea dry, | |
| He leads lsrael out of Egypt. | |
| At his cry, "Arise," the dead spirits | 925 |
| Rise in their bodily tomb, like pines in the field. | |
| His person is an atonement for all the world, | |
| By his grandeur the world is saved.78 | |
| His protecting shadow makes the mote familiar with the sun, | |
| His rich substance makes precious all that exists, | 930 |
| He bestows life by his miraculous actions, | |
| He renovates old ways of life. | |
| Splendid visions rise from the print of his foot. | |
| Many a Moses is entranced by his Sinai. | |
| He gives a new explanation of Life, | 935 |
| A new interpretation of this dream. | |
| His hidden life is being Life’s mystery. | |
| The unheard music of Life’s harp. | |
| Nature travels in blood for generations. | |
| To compose the harmony of his personality. | 940 |
| Our handful of earth has reach the zenith, | |
| For that champion will come forth from this dust | |
| There sleeps amidst the ashes, of our To-day | |
| The flame of a world consuming morrow. | |
| Our bed enfolds a garden of roses, | 945 |
| Our eyes are bright with to-morrow's dawn. | |
| Appear, O rider of Destiny! | |
| Appear, O light of the dark realm of Change | |
| Illumine the scene of existence. | |
| Dwell in the blackness of our eyes! | 950 |
| Silence the noise of the nations, | |
| Imparadise our ears with thy music! | |
| Arise and tune the harp of brotherhood, | |
| Give us back the cup of the wine of love ! | |
| Bring once more days of peace to the world, | 955 |
| Give a message of peace to them that seek battle ! | |
| Mankind are the cornfield and thou the harvest, | |
| Thou art the goal of Life's caravan. | |
| The leaves are scattered by Autumn's fury | |
| Oh, do thou pass over our gardens as the Spring! | 960 |
| Receive from our downcast brows | |
| The homage of little children and of young men and old! | |
| It is to thee that we owe our dignity | |
| And silently undergo the pains of life. |
