RECORD OF MÛSA’S—U. W. B., ETC.—GOING TO MOUNT SINAI FOR THE PURPOSE OF ASKING TO SEE [GOD]. THE GRANTING OF THE MOSAIC LAW.

After the Lord Mûsa had been several times to Mount Sinai, had completed his quarantines, had been honoured by conversing [with God] and by obtaining the Tables of the Law, he became more familiar with the mansion of the Lord of Unity. Then the aspiration originated in his mind, that as he had been made happy by various blessings vouchsafed unto him by the Almighty, to covet the most perfect and final grace by which he might become exalted over all the other prophets and inspired messengers. With this intention he first most scrupulously performed the ceremonies of the internal and external purification, such as the ablutions of his body, cleansing his garments and the amelioration of his behaviour, as the saying is:

Distich:Perform thy ablution with thy tears, and then visit His house,
Because without ablution the Ka’bah may not be circumambulated.

After that he opened the mouth of adoration, sanctifica­tion, and laudation, turned the face of his intention towards Mount Sinai, and after traversing the distance, he arrived in the Vâdi Aimen. A veil of darkness extending to a distance of seven Farsakhs surrounded him, and the demon of sensual appetites, who is appointed over the souls of all the prophets, abandoned him. The reptiles and insects of the earth concealed themselves underground; his two guardian angels obtained leave and separated from him; they, however, afterwards lifted up the curtain of the invisible world from before his eyes, and showed him the inhabitants of the heavenly mansions, the bearers of the throne, the empyrean abode, and the Preserved Table. After the graces of the beauties of the heavens, and the works of God had made their impressions upon his capa­cious mind, and he had enjoyed the wonderful spectacles of the world of spheres, and the extraordinary shapes of the pure spirits, he hastened to the conversation with the Lord of Unity and the Sovereign of Eternity, aspiring, in his superabundance of gratitude and immense longing, to behold the Inscrutable One:

Verses:I shall forget everything that exists except Thee.
In both worlds I will have no amorous sports except with Thee.
If Thou directest me, who am helpless, then easy will be
To me, who am unfortunate, any distance to Thee.
To my inmost melancholy heart, which is in solitude,
Not every veiled one can find access but Thou.
Cup-bearer! Make me so by vision’s wine,
That from ebriety I may not know whether I am this or Thou.*

When Mûsa had given vent to his aspirations, the allo­cution reached him: ‘O son of E’mrân, thy aspirations are lofty, and thou hast manifested a great desire. Knowest thou not that a decaying body and a perishable eye cannot see immortal beauty? Go, however, from this locality to yonder spot; sit there and look at the mountain. If thou wilt abide in that place, thou wilt soon behold Me.’ When Mûsa—u. w. b., etc.—had taken his position at the site pointed out to him, the angels of heaven were ordered to alight near Mount Sinai, and again to show themselves to Mûsa in their astonishing forms and wonderful positions, in various series and diverse shapes. Accordingly legions of exalted angels and celestial spirits of awful countenance and terrible aspect descended, chanting hymns of praise, so that Mûsa began to hear fearful voices, and to see powerful radiations, in consequence whereof his lordship was so overwhelmed with fright that he repented of his request. All the angels prostrated themselves in adoration, and the mountain was split in twain; Mûsa then fainted, and did not recover himself during three days. The author of the ‘Takalam-ul-lutâif’ relates that on the occasion when Mûsa fainted, some of the company of angels glanced at him, and said: ‘O son of a menstruating woman, thou hast asked the Lord for a great thing at an unfit season.’ Though the body of Mûsa was prostrated, his heart was conscious. He was moved by the voice [he had just heard], excused himself, craved pardon, was sorry, and repented of his boldness. Anus Bin Mâlik says that the mountain fell into six pieces, three of which alighted near Madinah, and they are Ohod, Raqa and Radzui; three fell near Mekkah, and they are Thûr, Zobair and Har. When Mûsa was performing the ceremonies of penitence and conversion, the allocution reached him: ‘O Mûsa, I have elected thee to be the inspired messenger of My words to mankind; take, therefore, what is given to thee and be grateful.’ After that, the mandate was issued to Jebrâil to go to the upper­most paradise, and to bring nine tables of green emeralds, and nine sprigs of the lote-tree beyond which there is no passing,* and to surrender them to the hands of the Lord of Magnificence. After he had fulfilled the command, the Lord of the Glory of unity completed, with the hand of omnipotence and grace, the Book of the Mosaic Law, with its commands and prohibitions, promises and threats, counsels and admonitions. Mûsa, the speaker [with God] —to whom be greetings and salutations—manifested his fervent gratitude, and after he had been invested with the honour of being elected and approved, he returned to his people, whom he assembled, showed them the nine [sic] tables, explained the commands and prohibitions with the whole contents of those pages, and invited them to conform to, and obey all the injunctions. The children of Esrâil, however, refused to accept these commandments, saying: ‘We have heard, but we shall not obey.’ The Lord Mûsa, being greatly distressed by this rebellious spirit, prayed to the Lord of Magnificence, who then ordered Jebrâil to pull up one of the mountains of the country of Filisteen [Palestine], and to hold it over the encampment of the Esrâilites. Mûsa then turned his face towards them and said: ‘O people, if you receive the book of the Lord, you will be delivered of this affliction, or else this mountain will fall upon your heads, and you will all perish.’ They refused and began to run in all directions, but as they were not able to find any refuge whatever, they prostrated them­selves in adoration and accepted the Mosaic Law, because they had determined to rebel again as soon as the moun­tain receded from above their heads. They were kneeling with one half of their faces towards the mountain, and the other half upon the ground, humbling themselves and worshipping. Divine service is to the present day still being performed among the Jews in this manner [sic]. At last the Esrâilites complied and accepted the law, whereon the mountain was removed from above their heads; they, however, came to Mûsa and requested him to lighten their troubles and burdens, which were greater than they could bear. Mûsa implored the Lord, who accordingly made easy the hard matters commanded in the Mosaic Law, and condensed all the commandments into six hundred and thirteen ordinances. Then Mûsa led the children of Esrâil into the vicinity of Balla and Egypt—the eastern limits whereof belong to Syria—as far as its western frontier which is the country of Andalûs [Andalusia in Spain!] and gave it into their possession. God the Most High has said: ‘And we have caused those who were weakened to inherit the east of the land, and the west of it, in which we have been. And the good word of thy Lord was fulfilled on the children of Esrâil, because they were patient. And we have extirpated Fara’ûn and his people, and that which they enthroned.’