THE superscription of this page of hopes and index of felicities, founded on the records of the virtuous of former, and the traditions of the nobles of later times, expresses the praise and laudation of GOD, of whose bounty and liberality the existence of all things is but one ray. The Exuberantly Beneficent, from whose treasury of goodness and favour all created beings have been invested with the robe of existence! The Sage, whose eternal science embraces the arcana of the gyrations of the spheres, as well as the inhabitants of the centre of the earth! The Omnipotent, the pen of whose might has by the juxtaposition of two letters* called forth all simple and composite essences from the womb of non-existence to the surface of evidence! The Clement, the revelation of whose blessed verse, ‘We relate to thee the best of stories,’* promulged for the consolation of the cherubim of His courts, is a sign of abundant mercy! The Munificent, whose blessed verse, ‘And those who fight for us,’* is with reference to the dignity of those who combat in religious wars, a specimen of His perfect liberality. The Operator, who has with the polishing instrument of grace brightened the scimitar of language, to occupy itself in the tournaments of rhetoricians with the abscission of the arguments of pretenders, and with the refutation of the deniers of the ‘evident signs.’* The Inventor, who has exalted the ambling steed of the writing reed with a wonderful power of locomotion, by the aid of which man is enabled to turn his reins into the plains of eloquence, and to record the lucubrations of the mind. The Mighty One, whose love made a cobweb* more slender than a rose-leaf to appear in the sight of violent and hard-hearted enemies like the wall of Zulqarneen,* till the minds of those concealed in the cave of Mount Thûr were relieved of fear. The Victorious, who has by means of the bright swords of warriors, which are the indices of conquest and victory, in a short time thrown the heads of the stiff-necked among the Arabs and non-Arabs into misery and contempt, in order to send the smoke of grief of the opponents of the orthodox religion up to the zenith of the firmament. ‘Allah doeth and ordereth all things as He willeth.’
The bouquets of the most excellent salutations, the odours of the praises whereof spread perfume, are here offered to the exalted genius, to the holy sepulchre, to the Eden-like mausoleum, to the great tree of the garden of prophecy, and to the rosebush of the park of love, the object of solicitude to the inhabitants of heaven and the purpose for which the dwellers on earth have been created,*
to the most noble of places and incomparable sanctuary of the best of men, and intercessor on the day of resurrection!
Distich: Ahmed* the prophet, the best of men,
Both worlds are subservient to him.
May Allah bless him, his companions, his kindred and friends, as long as the two luminaries shine, and night and day exist! Submissive, blessed, and numerous greetings to them!
But after [this preamble] the weakest of God’s servants, Muhammad Khâvend Shâh—may Allah fulfil his desires, and make him happier in the next world than in this— says: Let it not remain hidden to those acquainted with the fountains of history, that although authors of former and of later times have written biographies of the prince of prophets, with explanations of the campaigns and deeds of the orthodox Khalifahs, the eye is nevertheless delighted on beholding a handsome and symmetrical form clothed in pure and various garments; moreover, the wish of the most exalted court* had gone forth—as intimated in the preface to this work—therefore the imperfect mind [of the author] has after the completion of the first volume undertaken to write a compendium of the life of the chosen lord [Muhammad], with a short record of the Emâms of guidance; on him and on them be the most perfect blessings! and as narratives about his [the prophet’s] character are an exhilaration to those who are depressed in spirit, and as the records of his blooming miracles augment the pleasure of the gardens of hope of those who are in search of the means to obtain salvation, the author has contented himself to write this book in the ordinary language and current style most familiar to himself.
Distich: He who is acquainted with the town
Knows where our merchandise is.
By the encouragement of the patron, in whom all good qualities are concentrated, and in the name of the most exalted Amîr, who is endued with the virtues of Mercury and the nature of Jupiter, who is the manifester of the signs of Divine mercy and distinguished by royal favours, who walks in the paths of guidance and direction, performs the duties observed by good and religious men, exalts deeds of justice and beneficence, establishes the manifestations of clemency and kindness, is connected with royal majesty, an ornament to the Suleimân-like dignity, protects literary men and warriors, the governor of the monarchy and of the religion, Amir A’li Shir—may Allah prolong the time of his justice till the day of the resurrection—and with reverence for the prophet, for his family and noble progeny, I commence the promised work. He is my surety who accepts the vow and the intention!