RECORD OF THE RETURN OF MUSA—U. W. B., ETC.—FROM MADIAN, AND HIS BEING EXALTED TO THE DIGNITY OF PROPHECY.

After Mûsa had been a shepherd during seven years, Shoa’ib gave him his daughter Safura in marriage; and after having placed Shoa’ib under obligations by serving him two years more, his lordship wished to depart, and his request was complied with. It is related that before the arrival of the speaker with God [i.e. Moses], an angel in the guise of a man had visited Shoa’ib, and had entrusted a staff to his keeping, which his lordship the teacher of prophets [i.e. Jethro] accepted, and, as is customary with things entrusted for keeping, deposited and kept it with his own staffs. On the occasion of Mûsa’s departure, Shoa’ib told him to go into the house and to take a staff. His lord­ship did as he was bid, and accidentally the staff entrusted to Shoa’ib fell into his hands. This Shoa’ib discovered by touch, and said: ‘O Mûsa, leave the staff in its place, because it is the deposit of another; and take a different one instead.’ Mûsa returned to the house and replaced it; but when he stretched forth his hand to take another, the same staff again fell into his grasp. He informed Shoa’ib of this, who said: ‘Apparently thou art more entitled and worthier to possess it [than the person who brought it]. Arise, and go in peace.’ Mûsa accordingly departed with his wife and family, sheep, and property from Madian to Egypt; but as soon as Mûsa had gone, Shoa’ib considered himself guilty for having surrendered the deposit, and repented of having given away the staff to Mûsa, after whom he immediately hastened, and when he had overtaken him he asked for the staff. Mûsa, however, refused to surrender it, and the affair ended in a quarrel, during which an angel in the guise of a man made his appearance for the purpose of judging between them, and said: ‘Mûsa, throw the staff on the ground, and whoever takes it up may keep it.’ Both agreed to this condition. His lordship the speaker [with Allah] threw the staff down, and though Shoa’ib made numerous efforts take it up, he was unable to do so. After that Mûsa stretched out his hand, grasped the staff, and departed. He then travelled five days, and arrived the sixth night in the valley of Mount Sinai. There he beheld numerous dark clouds heaped up in the air, which was very cold. He necessarily stopped, and ordered his wife to kindle a fire for the purpose of warming themselves. She made numerous efforts to produce a spark from steel and flint, but was unsuccessful. Mûsa, being greatly astonished at this, placed the head of wonder upon the knee of medita­tion; then he looked towards the desert, and perceived a mighty glare in the direction of Mount Sinai. He was certain that this must be fire, took up his staff, enjoined his companions to remain where they were, and hastened towards the spot, as Allah the Most High said: ‘And he spoke to his family: Tarry ye [here], for I see fire; per­adventure I may bring you hence some tidings [of the way, or at least] a brand out of the fire.’*

As the poet beautifully said:

Verses:Grant a drop; for to the tavern of the beneficent
Every champion comes with a request.
There is no one who has not business in Thy house.
Every one goes there from desire.
Not only I rejoice at the fire of Vâdi Aimen.
Mûsa comes here with hopes of [obtaining] a brand.*

Some historians have stated that when the Lord Mûsa went to Mount Sinai, and was invested with the robe of prophecy, he was forty-nine years and thirty-seven days old; but according to the tradition of theologians he was seventy-nine years and seven days old, so that the two statements differ.

It is said that the distance from the place where Mûsa was, to that where he perceived the glare of fire, amounted to twelve farsakhs, and when by his spiritual perfection he approached that light he perceived a large fire ascending to the zenith from the branches and twigs of green trees without the accompaniment of smoke. The fire increased by degrees more and more, as well as the verdure and the brilliancy of the trees. Mûsa was awed, contemplated for some time the burning green trees, and knew not how he might obtain possession of some of that fire. At last he tied several small sticks into a bundle, by means of which he hoped to attain his object, and to return with fire to his domicile; but when he approached the tree the fire receded from him, and mounted to the upper part of the branches. Mûsa despaired at last, and intended to return without having executed his intention. Then the fire inclined towards him, but when he came near it again retreated. This having occurred several times, Mûsa became sad and melancholy; thereon a voice struck his ears, the like of which he had never heard before, and the words were: ‘O Mûsa!’ His lordship, the speaker [with Allah], replied: ‘I wait Thy commands.’ He looked to the right and could see no one, but after the above explanation had been thrice repeated, Mûsa asked: ‘Who art Thou whose voice I hear, but whom I cannot see?’ Then the response came: ‘I am Allah, the Lord of both worlds; I am thy Lord, O Mûsa.’ His lordship, the speaker [with Allah], then prostrated himself for adoration and asked: ‘My God, is this Thy voice, or the voice of Thy messenger?’ Then the allocu­tion arrived: ‘The words are My words, and the light is My light; I am the Omnipotent Nourisher of the inhabi­tants of the world. Come near, O Mûsa.’ These words filled the speaker [to Allah] with terror; his limbs quaked, and his tongue refused to move, the bird of his intellect flew out of the cage of his brains, and only after the greatest efforts he was enabled to rise by the aid of his staff. The all-powerful Lord then sent an angel, by whose assistance he might approach the tree, but when he desired to come nearer he heard the words: ‘Verily I am thy Lord; pull off thy shoes, for thou art in the sacred valley.’* It would appear strange that the merciful and clement Lord should have ordered the speaker [to Allah] to take off his shoes, but as they must have been dusty from his travels, and as the place was holy, this was an intima­tion that whenever man obtains certainty, he ought to divest himself of all external attributes, and confessing his own nullity, ought entirely to abandon himself to the true amity of the Omnipotent Lord—

Verses:But how could words describe the feeling of His grace?
Words travel wonderfully swift,
I fear lest I may lose the reins.

Those acquainted with the mystic sciences are well aware that theological discussions like the above do not belong to the province of history. Commentators and expounders have written much concerning the removal of the sandals, and we refer the reader to their works.

When Mûsa was at the sanctuary of Mount Sinai, and became a testimony to the regard of the true Witness, he was liberated from his metaphorical ordinances, and the Master of His own work [i.e. of the universe], and Sovereign of the regions of existence, made him partake of His graces and favours, invested him with the robe of prophecy, and decorated him with the ornaments of sciences and knowledge. The Most Glorious and Magnificent has said: ‘I have selected thee to be My distributor, etc.’ When He intended to send Mûsa to reform the deficient, and to appoint him a messenger to Fara’ûn and his followers, He bestowed upon him evident signs and clear miracles; enabled his penetrating mind to appreciate them, and accustomed his enlightened intellect to behold them. It is related that with reference to the production of the miracle with the staff, God—w.n.b.pr.—asked Mûsa, for the purpose of emboldening him to speak: ‘What is that in thy right hand, O Mûsa?’ His lordship replied: ‘This is my staff on which I lean, and with which I obtain leaves from trees for my sheep, and it has also other uses to me.’

Ebn A’bbâs has enumerated several properties of the staff of Mûsa, many of which manifested themselves after he had received his mission; some, however, will now be described as follows: The first is that he loaded some of his baggage upon that staff, which followed him in his travels like an animal, and conversed with him like a man. Secondly, when he was hungry he struck the staff on the ground, and a sufficiency of victuals for one day’s consump­tion issued from the soil. Whenever he wanted any fruit he planted the staff into the earth, whereon it immediately became green, shot forth branches, and bore the desired fruit. Another peculiarity of this staff was that when he stood in need of water he let it down into any well, like a bucket, whereon it became long enough to reach the water, assumed the form of a pail, and was filled. Another of its properties was that in the night it emitted light, like a torch. Another was that in the presence of an enemy there was no need for the Lord Mûsa to fight, because the staff attacked his antagonist spontaneously; and, as Mûsa was not aware of its property of becoming a dragon, he was ordered to throw it on the ground, whereon it became sud­denly transformed into a terrible serpent,* whose ugly form began to move in all directions, and so disquieted Mûsa that he fled, whereupon the allocution reached him: ‘Take it, and be not afraid of it, for it will assume its first shape.’ Mûsa was so frightened that he touched the dragon with the sleeve of his woollen garment, whereon he heard the words: ‘O Mûsa, perhaps thy sleeve is a remover of the calamity of serpents?’ Mûsa replied: ‘No, O Lord; but I am a weak person, begotten by another weak indi­vidual.’ Then the Omnipotent Inscrutable One followed up this prodigy by another, for the purpose of tranquillizing the apprehensions of Mûsa. This was the light which shone forth from the palm of His blessed hand, so that the twinkling of the stars and the shining of the moon were nothing in comparison therewith; nay, it even surpassed the light of the sun in splendour and radiance. When the soul of Mûsa became pacified and contented by the appearance of evident and manifest prodigies, the Almighty sent him as an inspired messenger to Fara’ûn, saying: ‘Go to Far’aûn, for he is a rebel.’* Mûsa, however, perceived by his pro­phetic foresight and abundant judgment that the prophetic dignity is a perilous and exalted office; therefore, he immediately opened the tongue of petition to the Lord of Magnificence, pleaded his inability and weakness, and asked for the power of utterance of eloquent rhetoric, the partner­ship of a wazir, the aid of a manifester, freedom of mind, the opening of his disposition, and the enlargement of his intellect. Then the allocution reached him: ‘What thou hast asked is granted to thee. Thy wants are supplied, and thy brother Harûn has been exalted to the dignity of a prophet, and he will be thy partner.’* Mûsa again opened the mouth of request, and said: ‘Lord, I have killed a man, and I fear they will murder me.’ Then he heard a voice as follows: ‘I have selected thee to be a messenger, and I have ennobled thee by My favours, be therefore of good cheer, and consider how thou wilt liberate the sons of Esrâil; because Fara’ûn and the Fara’ûnites will not [be able] to overcome thee, and shall by no means injure thee. I shall cause thy brother to share thy prophecy with thee, and I shall grant to both of you [miraculous] forces.’ After his lordship the speaker [to God] had received the gift of prophecy, of monotheism, and of the law with the power of working miracles, the divine revelation once more reached him in the following words: ‘Go thou and thy brother to Fara’ûn and announce to him your mission, do not be negligent in the duties thereof, admonish him with gentle speeches and soft words, endeavour to rescue the children of Esrâil, and advise him to withdraw the hand of tyranny from them, and to leave off oppressing them. Preach to him the upright religion, and reveal to him the straight road; inform him of the promised threats; if he accepts your advice, “Greeting to him who follows the guidance”; if he refuses to obey the divine commands or deviates from the road of salvation, then “punishment to him who accuses the messengers of God of falsehood and turns away” [will be his sentence].’

Some historians have stated, that after the Good Advo­cate had thus pledged Himself to patronize everything connected with Mûsa, the latter departed to Egypt for the purpose of fulfilling his mission, and that after he had ended his transactions with Fara’ûn, his family [again] met him sound and safe.

It is related by certain parties, that when Mûsa returned the next morning from Mount Sinai to his people, his wife was rejoiced at his arrival, and asked him whether he had brought fire. He replied: ‘I have not brought fire, but I have brought the light of prophecy.’ With reference to this circumstance, pleasant explanations, and elegant reports have been handed down by doctors, but as the verification of traditions does not pertain to the sphere of history, this mystic science is left to be pursued by those who have sufficient acuteness, skill, and inclination for it:

Verses:What need is there to describe the love for the Friend,
Since He knows all that passes in the lover’s heart.
But the heart’s desire in all this is
That we may become desirous to meet Him.