^402. He was abashed and said not another word.* They likewise relate concerning Shaikh Mubārak* that he was an ally* of Shaikh ‘Alā'ī in this assembly, and from that day* he became known* as Mahdawī, and Islem Shāh being deceived* by his speech and explanations used to say “You must have been in the habit of expounding the meaning of the Qur'ān,” he also gave a message to the Shaikh in these words “Give up this claim of yours to be the promised Mahdī,* and renounce this pretensiou secretly* in my hearing, and I will make you chief overseer of religion in the whole of my dominions, and whatever lawful orders you have been in the habit of issuing without my authority, continue henceforth to issue these same commands with my permission. Otherwise, the ‘Ulamā of this time have given their decision that you should be killed and gibbetted, but I will revise their sentence, for I am not willing that your blood should be shed. The|Shaikh, however, who had been successful at every step, and in this easy pretension and partial object of attainment had got beyond the power of even Islem Shāh,* cared nought for any ruler and addressed* him in these words, “why should I change* my own belief at your bidding.”

If thou desirest safety, reproach is right
If safety is lost, reproach is a mistake.

In the meantime tidings reached Islem Shāh* daily “To-day such and such an Afghān* general has gone over to the following of the Shaikh and sided with him, giving up all worldly consi­derations.”

The following day Bahmān and Mulla ‘Abdu-llah spent every moment in urging Islem Shāh to put the Shaikh to death. At last Islem Shāh gave orders for his expulsion,* and forbade him to remain in his kingdom, and ordered him to go to the Dakkan. Shaikh ‘Alā'ī who had for years* desired to travel in the Dakkan and to see how the Mahdawī ideas were progressing there, hearing this good tidings recited* the text Verily God's earth is wide.*

Then he arose and started without delay for that country.

Qāsim, curtail thy speech, arise, and take thy way, ^403.
Cast the sugar to the parrots, cast the carcase to the vultures.

On his arrival at Handīya,* which is the frontier of the Dakkan, Bihār Khān, who was entitled Ā‘am Humāyūn Sirwānī, the governor of that place, kept him for some time in his own family, and having embraced his tenets used to go daily to hear his preaching, and half* his army, nay more than half, sided with him; this news was brought to Islem Shāh by runners, and roused his indignation. Makhdūmu-l-Mulk took great pains to paint the event in glowing colours, and misrepresented it to Islem Shāh so that orders were issued summoning Shaikh ‘Alā'ī. Just at this juncture Islem Shāh had left Agra for the Panjāb* with the intention of quelling the disaffection of the Nīyāzī faction; when he arrived opposite to Baiāna at the halting-place of Bahrsūr, Makhdūmu-l-Mulk said to Islem Shāh “we have earned a few days respite* from the lesser evil” by which he meant Shaikh ‘Alā'ī, “but the great evil, that is Shaikh ‘Abdu-llah Nīyāzī, who is the instructor of Shaikh ‘Alā'ī and the spiritual guide of the Nīyāzī faction, and always remains in the hill country of Baiāna accom­panied by three or four hundred men fully armed and equipped, and raises disturbances there, is still flourishing.” The fire of the anger of Islem Shāh, who was thirsting for the blood of the Nīyāzīs, was fanned into flame by this breath* of suggestion, and he ordered Mīyān Bahwa Lūhānī* the Governor of Baiāna, who was one of the special adherents* of Shaikh ‘Abdu-llah, to produce the Shaikh. Mīyān Bahwa went to the Shaikh and said: It seems to me to be the best course for you to hide yourself for a few days in accordance with the saying “one should avoid misfortune” and migrate from this city to some other place, then perchance the king will forget* all about you and never make an attempt of this kind again,* and you will have met the emergency,* while I for my part shall have a good excuse.

Verse.

^404. Fear not a misfortune when the night intervenes between it
and you.

Shaikh ‘Abdu-llah would not agree to this suggestion* of his, and said, “this is an arrogant monarch and Makhdūmu-l-Mulk is always watching for an opportunity. If they go still further away and then send for me it will cause me great annoyance; for this reason, seeing that he is only ten krohs distant, I had better interview him now, and as for the question of mastery here and there, it will be all one whether it is to be now or in the future, since whatever is predestined will come to pass.”

Man proposes and God disposes.

Verse.

The reins of affairs are not in the hands of one who looks to
advisability,
Yield the reins into the hands of Fate, this is the advisable
course.

Accordingly he set out by night from Baiāna, and had an interview with Islem Shāh in the morning as he was mounted ready to march, and greeted him with ‘Peace be to you.’ On the instant Mīyān Bahwa seized him by the nape of the neck and bent his head down saying:* “My friend the Shaikh this is the way they salute* kings.” The Shaikh looked savagely in his direc­tion * and replied: “The salutation which is in accordance with the sunnat,* and which is that which the friends of the Prophet, may the peace and blessing of God be upon him and his family, used to make,* and which he, may the peace and blessing of God be upon him and his family, used to give them in response, is this very form of salutation, I know no other.” Islem Shāh, with evident aversion asked:* Is this the master of Shaikh ‘Alā'ī? Mulla ‘Abdu-llah who was lying in wait for him said: The very man. By order of Islem Shāh he was at once seized and most unmercifully beaten with sticks, and kicked and cuffed; the Shaikh as long as he retained consciousness kept repeating this text of the sacred word “Lord forgive us our sins, and our extravagance in our affairs; and make firm our footing, and help us against the mis­believing folk!”* Islem Shāh enquired what he was saying Mulla* ‘Abdu-llah said: He is calling you and the rest of us unbelievers; Islem Shāh becoming exceeding wroth waxed still fiercer in his efforts to punish and torture him,* and kept his retinue ^405. standing* an hour longer while they cudgelled him, and when he thought that the breath had left* his body—

One single breath was left as a mediator (between Life and
Death),
That mediator also rose and departed.

he desisted, and went on his way.

A spark of life however remained* in the Shaikh, so they wrapped him in a raw hide, and kept him warm for a night and a day before a fire, till he recovered. This occurrence took place in the year nine hundred and fifty-five. When he had regained his health he left Baiāna, and commenced travelling, and spent some time in Afghanīstān (Rūh), and some time among the Afghāns of Pattan in the Panjāb,* on the confines of Bajwāra between Ambér and Amritsar,* and was in the habit of saying:* This was the fruit of consorting with argumentative people.

Oh ye lords of contemplation, all my trust is in you,
But ye masters of discussion. I'll have none of you.