Rawżat al-ṣafā fi sīrat al-anbiya' va-'l-muluk va-'l-hulafa' - The Rauzat-us-Safa (Rehatsek), Part 1, Volume 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS.
PART I. (continued).

THE RAUZAT-US-SAFA;
OR,
GARDEN OF PURITY.

EDITOR’S PREFACE.

THIS second volume, which completes the translation of the first part of Mirkhond’s ‘General History,’ contains a good deal of interesting matter. The Moslem version of our Bible stories is continued from the death of Mûsa [Moses] to the mission of I’sa [Jesus], with details of his birth, life, and death, which tend to confirm Gibbon’s statement that ‘the wonders of the genuine and apocryphal gospels are profusely heaped on his head;’ and the Latin Church has not disdained to borrow from the Koran some stories connected with his virgin mother. In addition to the above, the biographies of Alexander the Great, of certain philosophers, and of the kings of the first four Persian dynasties, from an unknown period B.C., up to A.D. 632, are given at some length. To these are also added some stories connected with early Christianity, and others on the excellence of knowledge and wisdom.

Since the publication of the first volume of this series, I have come across an interesting work by Mr. Edwin Johnson, entitled, ‘The Rise of Christendom’ (Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner and Co., 1890). The object of his book is apparently to prove that the religious literature of the Jews and Christians is based upon the Koran and the Chronicles of Tabari, and that the teachings of the Synagogue and the Church followed the traditions of the Mosque. He says ‘the rise of Hebrew literature in Spain from the latter decades of the tenth century, or from the beginning of the eleventh, is a fact of the utmost importance with reference to the rise of Christendom,’ both of which are closely connected with the Moslem preachings and teachings at Cordova and elsewhere.

Though Judaism, Christianity, and Muhammadanism followed each other in their line of prophets from Adam to Muhammad, Mr. Johnson maintains that ‘the Arabians were our first teachers of the Book, and it is due to historic circumstances, as Gibbon points out in a lively passage, that our Oxford divines are not now defending and expounding the Moslem form of the Bible—that is, the Koran— rather than the Testaments.’

It is impossible in a short preface to give further details of this interesting book. It must be read to be understood, and even then the reader must possess a good knowledge of classical and theological literature. But with reference to the present work, particular attention may be called to Mr. Johnson’s chapter on ‘The Traditions of the Mosque,’ founded on the Koran and Tabari’s Chronicles. Mirkhond used the same sources of information, with the addition of numerous Arabic and Persian histories, and he is thus able to give several versions of the stories handed down to us. Still, in the main it will be found that the traditions of the Mosque as related by Mr. Johnson correspond with the traditions handed down to us by our author, and the two together give a good and correct description of the Jewish and Christian stories and legends from the Muhammadan point of view.

In all the sacred writings which have come down to us from ages past, it is now impossible to ascertain what was really the work of the original authors, or what may be considered as strictly appertaining to them, and left by them either as oral tradition or in writing. Since those times so much has been added, altered and interpolated by copyists, translators, and enthusiasts, that one can only say, as Mirkhond so frequently says in this work, that ‘God knows best the true state of the case,’ or that ‘all knowledge is with God,’ or that ‘God alone knows what is true.’ In all religions the first absolute necessity for belief in them is faith, which has never been better described than as ‘the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.’

While this volume was going through the press, there came the sad news of the death of the esteemed translator of it. Mr. Edward Rehatsek died in Bombay on December 11, 1891, aged 72. He arrived in India the beginning of December, 1847, and had therefore completed a residence of forty-four years in that country without ever leaving it. During the whole of that period he was constantly engaged in studying Oriental languages and Oriental literature, translating works from various languages, writing articles for newspapers, reviews, magazines and journals, and preparing papers for learned societies.

Space will not permit of giving here a detailed list of his many writings on many subjects. It is to be hoped, however, that this will be prepared in time, and published perhaps in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, so that it will be possible to be able to refer to much interesting matter now spread over a large surface. Such an account of his literary life and work will show that he was both intelligent and intellectual, and endowed with the qualities of patience, perseverance, and industry, to an extraordinary degree.

Here it will be sufficient to state that for the Oriental Translation Fund New Series he had completed and forwarded translations of the following works:

(1) ‘The Nigaristân, or Picture Gallery,’ by Muin-uddin Jawini, A.D. 1334; considered by many to be superior to Sa’di’s ‘Gulistân, or Rose Garden.’ [Not yet printed.]

(2) ‘Biography of our Lord Muhammad, the Apostle of Allah,’ according to the tradition of Ibn Hishâm, obtained from Ibn Ishâk; the best and most trustworthy life of the prophet now existing, and written during the eighth century A.D. [Not yet printed.]

(3) The whole of the first two parts of Mirkhond’s ‘General History.’

Of the last-mentioned work, this volume completes the first part. The first two volumes of the second part will contain the life of the Apostle Muhammad, while the third will give the lives of his four immediate successors.

At the time of his death Mr. Rehatsek was working at the translation of the third part of this voluminous history, and in one of his last letters, after describing his maladies, he finishes by saying, ‘Hope, however, never dies; and as work occupies the mind, and keeps off despair, I am determined to translate for you, though slowly, the third part of the “Rauzat-us-safa,” so as to make the history of the Khalifahs complete.’

Whether this translation should be continued and completed by others is a question that can be decided hereafter.

F. F. ARBUTHNOT.

18, PARK LANE,

LONDON, W.

PART I. (continued).

THE END OF MÛSA’S LIFE; HIS APPOINTING YOSHUA’ THE SON OF NÛN TO BE HIS SUCCESSOR, AND THE RECORD OF SOME EVENTS THAT HAPPENED AT THAT TIME.

THERE are various opinions about the death of Mûsa— u. w. b., etc.—but the musk-dropping pen will record that which is in the greatest conformity with the affairs of prophets. Chroniclers have related that when the time of Mûsa’s departure was drawing near, he commanded the census of the children of Esrâil to be taken again, and for a search to be made concerning any persons that had come with them from Egypt. Accordingly this matter was again investigated, but no one could be found of that number except Yoshua’ and Kalûb. This being reported to Mûsa, he assembled the descendants of the children of Esrâil, a great multitude, to whom he again expounded the Mosaic Law, and the contents of the two tables, elucidating the words by explanations, exhorting them to study the law, and enjoining them to teach it to their children. He appointed copyists for the purpose of writing it in books, and depositing it in archives. After that he wrote with his own most noble hand one copy, collated it with Jebrail, and entrusted the keeping thereof to the chiefs of the race of Harûn, to be preserved in the ark of the covenant. After the completion of the other books all were collated with the copy of Mûsa, and corrected in conformity therewith; they were distributed among the tribes, so that each of them obtained one copy. Mûsa convoked a great assembly of the people on the 7th of the month Adar, in which he appointed Yoshua’ to be his successor; and after recommending the children of Esrâil to the protection of God, he entrusted them to the care of Yoshua’, enjoining him to take charge of all the affairs of the administration, and advising the children of Esrâil to obey him. Then he said: ‘To-day, which is the 7th of the month Adar, I have attained the one-hundred-and-twentieth year of my age, and my end is approaching. I have appointed a servant of God, distinguished among you by his sincerity of purpose, to be my successor; and I have taken the Lord Most High, with the angels of heaven and earth, as witnesses in this matter. You are not to be cold and slack in following my advice; let not your faith decrease and become sluggish; allow no doubts to enter your minds in matters of religion; attribute no partner to the Lord of the majesty of unity, and implore help from no other god but from Him. Whoever desires to become one of my companions on the day of the resurrection must keep my injunctions, love Yoshua’, and follow the precepts of other prophets to be sent after his time. I warn you to be on your guard, and not to disobey Elghâzâr and his children, who are the greatest Emâms of the nation; do not deny their authority, for you will incur the anger and vengeance of God.’ All the children of Esrâil accepted the last will of the Lord Mûsa, and bound themselves by written contracts to keep it. After Mûsa had terminated his last injunctions, he recommended the people to each other, took leave of them, grasped Yoshua’s hand, and went away with him from among the children of Esrâil. When they were at a considerable distance from the latter, a gentle breeze commenced to waft from the west, the effects whereof apprised Yoshua’ of Mûsa’s death; having once more embraced, and taken leave of Yoshua’, he vanished from among his garments:

Verses:

Leave thy station in this place; Fly joyfully out of this cage. Rash one! thy heart’s abode is mire! Blessed he who is from its connexion free!

When Mûsa disappeared, and left his garments in the arms of Yoshua’, the latter returned with a melancholy and sorrowful heart to the Esrâilites, and explained to them what had taken place, but the people accused him of having slain Mûsa. They appointed a committee for the purpose of establishing his guilt and of executing judgment. These men had, however, a dream in the night, in which an individual informed them that Yoshua’ was innocent of the death of Mûsa, and that the Most High—w. n. b. e.— had appointed him to the seat of righteousness. Therefore they apologized next morning to Yoshua’ and liberated him.

PERSONAL DESCRIPTION OF MÛSA AND HARÛN, U. W. B., ETC.; THEIR QUALITIES, NAMES, TITLES, TRADE; THEIR LAW AND PLACE OF SEPULTURE.

The Lord Mûsa was of a light brown complexion, high stature, had curled hair, and a mole on his blessed countenance. Harûn’s stature was taller, his blessed colour whiter. He was three years older than Mûsa; his body was corpulent and large.

According to a certain tradition the Lord Mûsa was the fourth Uvlula’zm.¹ He was a prophet of exalted dignity and very irascible. Hârun, on the contrary, was slow to anger and meek, gentleness having been the prominent feature of his august character.

Some say that Mûsa is an Arabized word which was [originally] Musia in Hebrew, and had been invented by the daughter of Fara’ûn when Mûsa was in the coffin. Some allege that Mu means ‘water’ in the Qabat language and Sa ‘a tree’; and as they found his coffin among the trees in water, they called him Mûsa. His well-known titles are ‘the speaker with God’ and ‘the pure one of God.’ Harûn means in the Hebrew language ‘red and white’; and his lordship being endowed with these two qualities, he was called so after them. His title is Wazir, Emâm, and Khalifah.²

In the beginning Mûsa was a governor of the children of Esrâil and of the Qabats. When he entered the service of Shoa’ib he became a shepherd, but after he had received his mission he followed no other occupation but that of governing and exhorting the people. Harûn was first a merchant, and afterwards became the prime minister of Mûsa.

At the commencement of his mission Mûsa followed the religion of Ebrahim, but when the Mosaic Law descended [from heaven] he received orders to abolish some of the ordinances, and to establish other new ones. Some things allowed before were prohibited now and vice versâ; details of all these things, however, may be found in the histories of the Jews.

All chroniclers agree that the place of Mûsa’s sepulture is not known; those of the book³ say that the tomb of Harûn is in the desert of Sin on Mount Shovik; God the Most High, however, knows best the true state of the case. The blessings of Allah be upon our prophet, upon them, as well as upon all other prophets and inspired messengers.

RECORD OF THE VARIOUS EVENTS THAT COMPLETE THIS NOBLE RECITAL, AND AN ACCOUNT OF THE MURDER OF THE TIRE-WOMAN OF FARA’ÛN’S DAUGHTER.

It is related that Asia, the daughter of Fara’ûn, had a tire-woman who attended upon her, but followed the religion of Mûsa (u. w. b., etc.). One day when she was arranging the hair of Asia the comb happened to fall from her hand, and she said: ‘Bismillah [in the name of Allah],’ and took it up again. Fara’ûn’s daughter asked: ‘Who is he? and what is the property of his name?’ The believing woman replied: ‘It is He who has granted the royal dignity to thy father, has in the abundance of His bounty created him, and has exalted him to the high position which he occupies.’ The daughter of Fara’ûn became astonished and incensed with anger at these words, and immediately reported them to her father. Fara’ûn said: ‘It would be unjust to punish that person without first inquiring into this matter, of which she will probably repent.’ He therefore summoned her to his presence and examined her, but she repeated what she had stated above; whereat Fara’ûn became so enraged that he ordered her hands and feet to be pierced through with nails, and a dish full of fire to be thrown at her head; but she never flinched in her religion, and would not acknowledge the godhead of Fara’ûn. Therefore he commanded an oven to be heated like a smelter’s furnace, and her child, which was three months old, to be thrown into it; but whilst the innocent little one was being consumed by the flames, he consoled his mother in eloquent language as follows: ‘Be patient, O mother! Verily I have reached God and enjoy His favour. Between thee and paradise there is but a step or two!’ It is said that at the sight of this miracle numerous Qabats professed monotheism, were converted from their infidelity and scepticism, and became Musalmans [sic].

RECORD OF ASIA, DAUGHTER OF MUZÂHUM, AND WIFE OF FARA’ÛN,⁴ WITH THE ACCOUNT OF HER MURDER.

The pedigree of Asia ascends to Lôt, the prophet. Some Arab genealogists attribute to her kinship with Ziamiân, who is said to have been a relative of Fara’ûn. At any rate, she was a believer in the unity of God, practised the Law of Mûsa, but concealed her religion from Fara’ûn until she made an open profession of it on the occasion of the execution and crucifixion of the sorceress, as has been narrated above. Some assert that when Fara’ûn ordered the tire-woman of his daughter to be slain, Asia was sitting in a balcony; but when she perceived what was taking place she impatiently came down, approached Fara’ûn, dissuaded him from pursuing the course in which he was engaged, and threatened him with the punishment of the next world. When he had heard her words he imputed lunacy to her, but she said: ‘Thou art the madman, because, despite of the weakness of humanity, thou layest claim to the honours of the Deity.’ On that occasion she made a public profession of her religion, saying: ‘I believe in Allah the Most High, my Lord and Master of both worlds.’ Fara’ûn called out to the mother of his spouse, and said: ‘Thy daughter has become mad; advise her to apostatize from the religion of Mûsa, or else I shall destroy her in the basest manner.’ When he despaired of her again becoming an unbeliever, he pierced her body with four nails, and tortured her until she was translated to the propinquity of Divine mercy. It is said that during the execution Mûsa happened to pass near the spot in which it took place, and on Asia’s beckoning to him and complaining of her torments, he prayed; whereon the Almighty— w. n. b. e.—so alleviated her sufferings that she felt no pain at all, but departed smiling and rejoicing from the perishable to the everlasting mansion.

ACCOUNT OF MÛSA’S STAFF AND ITS PROPERTIES.

Some of the qualities of Mûsa’s rod have been narrated above in these pages, and were taken from the Munâhaj-us-sâlakeen. In the Jâmi’ Aa’zim it is related that the staff of Mûsa was of Môz-wood, and was as tall as his own stature. Some say it was thirty or forty cubits high, and had descended from Adam to Shoa’ib by way of inheritance. It had two branches, and its lower part was an iron spear. According to the tradition of Sa’id, the son of Jabir, its name was Mâsâsut, but Moqâtol calls it Naqa’a; whilst Ebn Hayân surnamed it A’iath, and others A’tiq. When Mûsa became fatigued in his travels he rode on it, and it ran like an Arab horse. In darkness it shone like a lamp. When he was thirsty he let it down into a well, whereon it became elongated; a bucket appeared at its extremity, and water could be drawn. When he became hungry, food sufficient for one day appeared on any wall to which he pointed. If he wished for fruit he fixed his staff in the ground, whereon it was transmuted into a fruit-bearing tree. When he wanted perfume, it exhaled the fragrance of musk and ambergris. If he desired to fight an enemy it transmuted itself into a terrible dragon, and it is said that every time Mûsa threw it upon the ground it became a very black serpent, from which hands and feet protruded; its throat contained twelve teeth, sharp like swords and javelins. It vomited fire; its eyes sparkled like lightning; the wind, Simûm, blew from its nostrils, and its motions caused the ears to tingle as when fire was being kindled. Its total length from head to tail was eighty cubits; its body was studded with hairs, resembling thorns of the desert, and bristling so that the hardest stones thrown against them only rebounded without injuring the monster. When it erected its head skywards it looked like a black spire, and the circumference of its body was like that of a dromedary. Notwithstanding its size, it combined the length of a dragon with the agility and levity of a snake. The Lord of Majesty—w. n. b. e.—has in many places mentioned it in the glorious Qurân, as for instance, ‘and behold it became a visible serpent,’⁵ etc. Besides the properties just enumerated it was also endowed with others, to detail which would prolong this account greatly.

STORY OF THE ROCK.

It is said that the Lord Mûsa was so bashful and reluctant to show his nude body that no one had ever seen it. Complete nakedness not being prohibited among the children of Esrâil, they veiled it not in the presence of each other; but as he was averse to this practice, the wicked among the people slanderously imputed to him a filthy disease.⁶ This falsehood obtained such currency that the Lord of Magnificence ordered, for the purpose of showing Mûsa’s innocence, a stone, upon which he had deposited his garments whilst bathing, to put itself in motion, with the clothes thereon. When Mûsa perceived this he stepped forth naked from the water to obtain his clothes, and was thus compelled to run in pursuit of the stone, which he was unable to overtake until he had passed some of the people, who were able to perceive nothing, except the purity of his august body, and thus became aware of the foulness of their suspicions, so that all the children of Esrâil were compelled unanimously to acknowledge his internal and external purity. After that Mûsa was, by Divine inspiration, commanded to preserve that stone, because it would be needed afterwards. It is said that this rock had four surfaces, from each of which three fountains gushed forth on being struck with the staff; in the beginning the water flowed only in drops, but became gradually so abundant that it sufficed for all the tribes of Esrâil.

STORY OF THE ARK OF TRANQUILLITY.

The author of the Labâb-ut-tafâsir says that when Adam —u. w. b., etc.—exchanged the pleasant mansion of eternity [in paradise] for the abode of affliction in this world, the Lord Almighty—w. n. b. e.—sent him for his consolation an ark, which contained the portraits of all the prophets,⁷ the last of all of which was the figure of our prophet— u. w. b., etc.—made of red rubies, and around it the members of his family and his companions were arranged. The ark was made of box-wood, three cubits long and two broad, adorned with golden bars and pictures. Sheth had received it by inheritance, and it reached Ebrahim in the same way. After him it fell into the possession of Esmâil and then into that of the latter’s son Qidâr, with whom the sons of Esahâq contended for the possession of the ark; he would, however, not surrender it until one night when he was ordered by a [Divine] herald to give it to his uncle’s son Ya’qûb. He accordingly bore it on his shoulders to Kana’an, delivered it to his lordship, and thus it remained among the children of Esrâil until Mûsa received it. Some affirm that the ark of tranquillity and the ark of the testimony were one and the same thing, and they state their case as follows: ‘When the time of Mûsa’s departure from the world had drawn near he prayed to the Lord of Magnificence in this manner—“O Lord, the children of Esrâil are Thy servants and the time of my death is approaching; if Thou wouldst confer upon them a favour, which might after me become to them an occasion of victory, they would certainly conquer their enemies, and have a cause for rejoicing.” The prayer of Mûsa having been responded to, the allocution reached him to construct an ark, endowed with the above-named properties, and to place therein that which would be indicated to him, so that the affairs of the children of Esrâil might prosper. After that Mûsa constructed an ark of silver, gold, brass, iron, and other substances, placed a golden bolt on it, and deposited in it the stone from which the twelve fountains gushed, as well as the fragments of the tables [of the law] and the two others which he had obtained after breaking the former ones, with a vessel in which the angels had washed the hearts of the prophets, and also the books of the Mosaic Law, which he had written with his own noble hand; he also ordered that after his death his garments and those of Harûn be put into the ark with their shoes, and that its top be then closed. When the children of Esrâil acted according to his injunctions, and whenever any misfortune befell them, they brought forth the ark, by whose blessing they were relieved thereof. This ark was sometimes in the treasuries of kings, sometimes in the hands of grandees and of pious men among the children of Esrâil, until on a certain occasion some A’mâlekites arrived, vanquished the children of Esrâil, took away the ark and placed it under the feet of idols in their temple, but when they entered in the morning they found the ark placed upon the heads of the idols. They were astonished at this, and threw the ark upon the ground; but after they had several times observed it occupying a place contrary to their wishes, they took it out of the city and conveyed it to a village in the neighbourhood; and the inhabitants of the latter became afflicted with sore necks in consequence of this step. The ark was therefore taken to another place and buried; the people of the locality then became subject to hemorrhoids, and at last tied the ark upon cows and calves, and carried it back to the children of Esrâil. An angel was their guide and conducted them to the Jews, who then rejoiced, magnified God, and transferred the dominion to Tâlût.⁸ There are, however, many opinions about the ark of tranquillity, some being of opinion that the figure of a woman was in the ark, which began to speak when any untoward incident took place, giving advice to the children of Esrâil, how to manage their affairs. It is also said that only its face resembled a human countenance, but all its limbs were different. Others allege that the ark of tranquillity contained an animal with a head like a cat, and having a wing on each shoulder. Another tradition affirms that it had two heads and again another that it had only one, but also a tail and wings. This ark has also been interpreted as Berenj jafâfa,⁹ the Divine mercy, the radiating light and the spirit; but He [i.e., Allah] knows best the true state of the case.

STORY OF THE TABLES.

Some of the principal historians assert that the tables are a metaphor to express the Mosaic Law; the correct opinion, however, is that the tables were different from the Mosaic Law; they were, namely, the ten tables which contained the ten commandments, as has been previously narrated in these pages. Some assert that Mûsa threw down these tables in his anger, so that all of them were broken to pieces; but at his request the Almighty—w. n. b. e.— recorded those commandments on other tables and sent them to him. There is also a variety of opinions concerning the material of which the said tables were made. Some say they were of emerald, other say of Zabarjad.¹⁰ It is alleged that each of these tables was twelve cubits long, but some say less. Others again believe that the tables were taken froma granite rock, which the Lord of Unity had ordered to become soft; Jebrâil cut the tables from it, smoothed and planed them with his own hands, and having taken ink from the sea of light with the same pen wherewith the Qurân had been written, he recorded the ten commandments, and Mûsa—u. w. b., etc.—heard the sound of the pen when in motion.

DESCRIPTION OF THE MOSAIC LAW.

The Jews believe that the Mosaic Law descended [from heaven] in nine tables, each of which was ten cubits long. Rabi’ Bin Anûs states that the Mosaic Law came down in forty books, which were so heavy that forty camels were required to move them from place to place. One portion consisted of a thousand chapters, each of which in its turn contained one thousand verses, and was read through once a year. None of the ancient prophets, except Mûsa, Harûn, Yoshua’ the son of Nûn, and I’sa [Jesus] knew the entire Mosaic Law by heart; some, however, allege that Daniâl and Armia [Jeremiah] had also memorized it. Of later nations [or rather persons] A’li the son of Abu Tâleb—may Allah ennoble his face—knew the entire Mosaic Law. Among the Shia’hs, the Emâm Nâtuq, son of Muhammad-us-sadiq, is also said to have retained it in his memory.

DESCRIPTION OF THE MEETING OF THE TWO SEAS.

The author of the Labâb-ut-tafâsir has related that hereby the meeting of the sea of Greece and Persia is meant. Muhammad Bin Jarir-ut-Tabari says it is a three days’ journey where the eastern sea from Adarbaijân meets the western sea from A’den. Moqâtul says it is the river As and the river Kar. Ali Bin Ka’b states that by the meeting of the two seas Afriqiah is meant. The illuminati have explained it as [the meeting of] the sea of prophecy and the sea of knowledge; accordingly this union of the seas would point to a place [or rather an individual?] in which both these qualities [had] met in the most perfect manner. According to lexicographers the word Huqb,¹¹ with reference to Mûsa, means eighty, seventy, and, according to others, one hundred years, or an unlimited time; it is also called a very long life.

ENUMERATION OF THE MIRACLES OF MÛSA.

Most of the acts of the Lord Mûsa were extraordinary and wonderful, and the miracles of most other prophets have also been classified long after they had taken place, except such as continued to operate for a long time [and therefore obtained a very prominent place]. The miracles of Mûsa thus classified amount to the number of twenty-eight, as follows:—1. The staff, which was instrumental in several prodigies, as has already been narrated above. 2. The bright hand. 3. The famine of the Fara’ûnites, and the loss of their crops. 4. The inundation [or storm]. 5. The locusts. 6. The lice. 7. The frogs. 8. The transmutation of water into blood. 9. The changing of jewels and coins into stones. 10. The death of the virgins. 11. The division of the water of the sea into twelve parts. 12. The reticulation of the walls of the sea, and the drying of its bottom. 13. The speaking of the infant of the tire-woman of Fara’ûn’s daughter. 14. The destruction of A’vuj the son of A’naq by Mûsa’s hand. 15. The resuscitation of the chieftains of Esrâil, after having been killed by lightning. 16. The appearance of golden dots on the tongues of the worshippers of the calf. 17. The properties of the ashes of the calf which were of much use in alchemy; these properties have been described by Jâber in the work Rusûm Sena’t. 18. The forty Miqât [attendance on mount Sinai]. 19. The forty intercessions when he was prostrated in adoration during forty days and nights. 20. The forty supplications when he was standing during that time in one place. 21. Story of the cow. 22. Destruction of Qarûn. 23. Descent of manna and quails. 24. The gushing forth of water from the rock. 25. The renewal of the garments of the children of Esrâil, which did not wear out during their wanderings, but became daily more and more fresh by the blessings of his noble efforts. 26. The resuscitation of Harûn by his prayers. 27. The dark cloud which shaded the children of Esrâil from the effects of the sun. 28. The descent of the Tables of the Mosaic Law.

Another of the miracles of Mûsa was ‘the sudden judgment,’ which remained among the children of Esrâil for a hundred years. This was a golden rod, upon which Mûsa had wound wool and linen, had inserted into their texture precious gems, and had written three lines thereon, each in a different colour, consisting of the names of Ebrahim, Esahâq and Ya’qûb, with those of the twelve tribes painted on it, and on account of these names it contained all the letters of the alphabet.¹² When any important event took place among the children of Esrâil, and no one knew how to act, they assembled and stood in front of the Harûnian high-priest, until he donned his official dress and suspended ‘the sudden judgment’ on his breast above the garments. Then he explained the difficulty, and at that very moment he heard a reply from ‘the sudden judgment’; but if the said answer happened to be lengthy, it manifested itself upon the single letters in such a way, that by connecting them the explanation of the matter could be read. It is said that in Yoshua’s time an individual had stolen some valuable property, but that no clue whatever could be found of the theft; wherefore Yoshua’ had recourse to that belt,¹³ which revealed the thief, after whose confession immediate punishment ensued. The robber’s name was A’aher, son of Karmy, son of Randi, son of Zarâj, son of Yahuda, and the articles stolen were a garment inlaid with precious stones, a turbân of golden texture encrusted with rubies, and a necklace adorned with wonderful figures. This event made such an impression upon the wicked portion of the children of Esrâil, that after that time no one attempted to commit any crimes of the above-mentioned kind.

Another of the prodigies of Mûsa was, that he constructed a tank full of water, the locks and keys whereof he entrusted to the keeping of Harûn. Whenever a husband entertained suspicions about his wife, he poured some of the water of the tank into an earthen vessel, and threw a little mud with the tips of his fingers into it; then he breathed a prayer upon it, mentioning the circumstances and the name of the woman. After that he gave the water to his spouse to drink, who immediately turned black and expired if she had committed adultery; but remained unhurt if she was innocent, and gave birth to a child by her husband during the same year. She became pregnant though she may have been barren previously, and was henceforth a child-bearing woman. This miracle likewise remained in operation among the children of Esrâil during one thousand years. It is related that in those times there were two sisters among the people, who resembled each other so much that they could not easily be distinguished. The husband of one of them suspected her of adultery, and informed the Harûnian priests of the case. They despatched a person to produce the woman; the adulteress, however, cunningly sent her sister, who underwent the trial, and having been found innocent, returned. When she arrived at home, her guilty sister embraced her, but the breath of the pious woman, who had drank of the water, ascended into the brains of the adulteress, who immediately became black, and died on the spot, for an example to the inhabitants of the world. One of the strange circumstances of Mûsa’s life was, that he expired at the same hour of [the day] in which he was born.

STORY OF YOSHUA’ THE SON OF NÛN.

Allah—w. n. b. e.—has said:—‘And [remember] when Mûsa said unto his servant [Yoshua’ the son of Nûn], I will not stop until I come to the place where the two seas meet; or I will travel for a long space of time.’¹⁴ Theologians and historians agree that in this verse the word ‘servant’ means ‘Yoshua’ the son of Nûn,’ who was one of the greatest prophets, and his story runs as follows:

When the children of Esrâil had obtained certainty of Mûsa’s death, and were deploring his loss for one month, they conferred the plenary power of governing upon Yoshua’ and agreed to obey him in all things. On the 6th day of the month Nisân, during the first year of Mûsa’s decease, the Lord of Grandeur addressed Yoshua’ as follows: ‘Assemble the children of Esrâil, and make efforts to conquer Ariha [Jericho] and the country of Syria, because the time has arrived when the promise made by Me to Mûsa is to be fulfilled! Victory and conquest will be the sequel of the expedition to Syria!’ In obedience to the divine command, Yoshua’ immediately harangued the people of Esrâil, warned them not to oppose the Divine will, promised them good success, and fitted out the army, which started on the 10th of Nisân for Ariha. It is said that when the hosts of Esrâil crossed the Ardan [the river Jordan] the particles of water receded from each other, and a dry path appeared, through which the children of Esrâil passed with the greatest security; after that the waters again met and the river flowed as before. When this miracle took place Yoshua’ caused twelve big stones to be set up over each other, and the people built a tower on the spot, in commemoration of the prodigy. In that place they also celebrated the festival of the Passover; then they picked out two men from among themselves and sent them as spies towards Ariha, who, after their return, informed the children of Esrâil about the habits and circumstances of the inhabitants of it. The army then quickly marched in that direction, and besieged three towns. It is related that Ariha was a large fortified town, with strong breastworks and ramparts. Its earthworks reached the clouds, and its towers vied in altitude with the sphere that contains the signs of the zodiac. It contained large houses, flowing brooks, gardens, parks, and populous thoroughfares. As the city was fortified with strong defences the inhabitants believed its conquest to be difficult and remote, although the enemy was very near. Yoshua’ had, however, ascertained by his prophetic light, that the place could not stand a siege; therefore he proceeded on the seventh day of it with the chieftains and the grandees of the people of Esrâil, as well as the Harûnian priests and the ark of the testimony, to circumambulate the city seven times; then he uttered an invocation and breathed against it, whereon the ramparts of the fortifications all at once separated and crumbled to pieces, so that a citadel of such magnitude became level with the ground without any external causes.¹⁵ The children of Esrâil then entered Ariha, which they plundered and ravaged according to their heart’s content, accumulating immense booty. Thereon Yoshua’ ordered the soldiers to produce everything they had taken, and not to spend anything, because at that time the adherents of monotheism were not allowed to plunder until the time of the mission of his lordship the seal of prophets [i.e., Mahammud] had arrived, as shall—if Allah pleaseth—be narrated at the proper place in the second volume of this work. When all the property taken by the army had been brought forth, Yoshua’ ordered it to be destroyed by fire; but as the fire had no effect upon the spoils, he knew that there must be some treachery. Therefore he had recourse to the ‘sudden judgment,’ which revealed the name of the villain, who confessed his guilt, and produced the golden head of a cow, encrusted with rubies and sapphires, which he had secreted. This having been placed on the top of the other booty, the fire immediately took effect and burnt the traitor likewise.

When the people of Esrâil entered the city, Yoshua’ asked them to implore the Lord and pardoner of transgressions to forgive their sins, and to offer their thanksgivings for having been delivered of their migrations in the desert. Numbers of the pious and devout among the multitude complied with this injunction; others, however, scoffed and asked for corn. The number of those who had ridiculed Yoshua’ is said to have amounted to seventy thousand, but they were all suddenly destroyed by lightning. After this Yoshua’ ordered Ailia to kill all the A’mâlekites who happened to be there; it is, however, said that they were so athletic and strong that twenty of the children of Esrâil assembled around one of them for the purpose of severing his head from his body, but could not effect it.

After the conquest [of Ariha] Yoshua’ proceeded to Balqa, likewise a strong fortified town, with a high citadel, the inhabitants of which were idolaters. They had a king of the name of Bâluq, and Bala’m was also among them, which latter individual was, according to the opinion of the Jews, a sorcerer; but the chiefs of the Muhammadan faith assert that he was a devout believer, who knew the [ineffable] name of Allah, by whose blessings his prayers were answered. When Yoshua’ arrived at Balqa, Bâluq had not the strength to meet him or to fight him in an open battle-field; wherefore he retreated into a fortified town, after the protracted siege whereof [by the Esrâilites] he requested Bala’m, who was also called Bala’âm, to pray that the children of Esrâil might be put to flight.¹⁶ Bala’m, however, at first refused, and said: ‘Yoshua’ is a prophet of Allah—w. n. b. e.—has brought his army to this country by divine command, and I cannot pray for the required purpose, and you must make a profession of the religion of Mûsa, that you may be delivered from the wrath of Allah.’ At last, however, Bala’m was, by threats and promises, induced to swerve from the straight path, and invoked the Lord Almighty to put the children of Esrâil to flight. His prayer was answered, and the troops of Yoshua’ fled, and the latter having supplicated God with reference to this event, the allocution arrived: ‘There is a servant of Mine among the inhabitants of Balqa who calls upon me by the greatest [i.e., ineffable] name, and whatever he asks from Me is granted to him.’ Yoshua’ said: ‘O God! since this prayer of his is not impressed with the signet of confirmation, cause him to forget that name.’ The request of Yoshua’ was hereon complied with, and the ineffable name blotted out of Bala’m’s memory. Yoshua’ then returned to the children of Esrâil and augmented his efforts in beleaguering the enemies of the true religion. The king afterwards again requested Bala’m to utter his prayers against the children of Esrâil, and to implore the Almighty —w. n. b. e.—to disperse them, but although Bala’m recited his orisons, they were not responded to; he therefore advised the king to send handsome and lascivious women into the camp of Yoshua’, and assured him that if one individual of the children of Esrâil committed adultery, God the Most High would refuse them the victory. The king accordingly despatched, at the instigation of Bala’m, dissolute females to the army of the Esrâilites, with injunctions to grant them anything they might ask for. These women proceeded to the locality, and one of them accosted a grandee of the children of Esrâil, who was the governor of the tribe of Shima’ûn, Bin Ya’qûb Zamry Bin Shalûm by name, who took her by the hand, brought her to Yoshua’, and said: ‘I think, according to thy opinion, it would be unlawful for me to have this woman.’ Yoshua’ replied: ‘Certainly! God forbid thou shouldst have anything to do with her; because whenever an Esrâilite commits adultery pestilence sent by heaven afflicts us.’ Zamry continued: ‘I shall not obey thy commands!’ He then took the woman into his tent; but the misery of the plague broke out in the army that very moment.

When Makhâz, the son of A’nzâr, the son of Harûn, who was one of the chiefs and grandees of the people, had heard of what happened, he snatched up a lance,¹⁷ hastened to the tent of Zamry, pierced therewith both the man and woman, carried them to the camp, and stood for a long time shouting: ‘Whoever will hereafter have anything to do with dissolute women will be punished in this manner.’ Therefore the children of Esrâil withdrew from that sinful course, and expelled the prostitutes from the camp. The Lord of Magnificence then removed the misery of the pestilence from among the children of Esrâil, and deprived Bala’m, on account of his misdemeanour, of the diadem of knowledge, the robe of piety and of religion. The next day Yoshua’ ordered the army to march to the citadel. The Esrâilites were beating their drums and blowing their wind-instruments, and from Friday morning until the time of the afternoon prayers they engaged in fighting. When the evening had drawn near a part of the wall fell down by an earthquake; the conquest became evident, the carnage increased, and as by the command of Mûsa every occupation except devotion was illicit, Yoshua’ implored the Omnipotent Inscrutable One to order the sun to retrograde; accordingly it moved by command of the Lord of lords from west to east and remained stationary¹⁸ until the children of Esrâil had terminated the slaughter of the A’mâlekites and giants; they also captured Bâluq and Bala’m, causing them to meet their friends [in death].

It is known that for the sake of three individuals the sun rose from the western horizon. Firstly, at the instance of Yoshua’, the son of Nûn; secondly, for Sulimân, the prophet—u. w. b., etc.—on the occasion of the ‘horses swift in course’;¹⁹ and, thirdly, for A’li the elect—may Allah ennoble his face—as shall be narrated in its proper place if it pleaseth Allah.

When Yoshua’ was, on Sunday, collecting the spoils and burning them, he heard of there being in the vicinity of the Holy Land a town of the name of A’ali, the inhabitants of which were likewise idolaters. Therefore he again collected his army and marched to that region, and having captured the king of it, he massacred him with twelve thousand idolaters. In the rear of that town there were two mountains, one of which was called A’mâd, and the other Jia’ûn; the population between them being very large. Yoshua’ marched there and invited all men to make their profession of Islâm, whereon many asked for mercy and became Musalmâns. Near these mountains there was also another height called Salam, with a strong fortification and numerous inhabitants. That fort possessed many outworks and conveniences. Yoshua’ paid a visit to the king, who was a giant of the name of Bâruq, and invited him to accept the religion of Islâm, which the king and his people did.

After these great conquests Yoshua’ marched to the extreme west, and arrived in the country of Armaniân, which contained five towns, with a king in each. The people heard of Yoshua’s approach, attacked him, but were put to flight, and took refuge in a cave. Yoshua’ despatched a few warriors there, whilst he himself, with the heroes of his army, went in pursuit of the retreating foes, great numbers of whom were slain. The strangest thing of all, however, was, that those who had escaped from the sword were killed by hailstones to such an extent that their numbers exceeded those who had perished by the sword. After this victory Yoshua’ took the five kings and exterminated them; then the drum of return was struck, and he engaged in conquering the rest of Syria, thirty-one of the kings of which he captured and killed, so that he at last vanquished the whole country and distributed it amongst the children of Esrâil. All these events took place during the space of seven years. According to a tradition, his noble mind was after these wars occupied twenty years more with governing the people and teaching them the Mosaic Law. When, however, the time of his departure was approaching, his health failed him; he fell a prey to a grave malady, and was prostrated on his bed. On that occasion the news arrived that King Salam had apostatized from the religion, and had revolutionized all the country. As Yoshua’ was unable to wage war on account of his malady, he invoked the wrath of God upon the rebels, sent for Kalûb, the son of Yûfanna, appointed him to be his successor and heir, and departed from this world.

HIS PERSONAL DESCRIPTION, QUALITIES, MIRACLES, DURATION
OF HIS MISSION, AND HIS TOMB.

He was of a middling stature, had large eyes, a light-brown complexion, and a broad chest. He was brave, warlike, and well acquainted with all the stratagems of war and fighting. He followed the religion of Mûsa, and acted in conformity with the Mosaic Law. One of his miracles was the division of the waters of the Ardan [Jordan], when the children of Esrâil crossed it; another was that of the sun, as has been narrated above, but others are also recorded. The Jews and Christians allege that he lived one hundred and ten years,²⁰ and that the duration of his mission was ten years. Tha’alebi has related in the A’râis that his mission lasted twenty-seven, and his whole life one hundred and twenty-six years. It is related in the Muntazim that Yoshua’ was forty-two years of age when Mûsa departed this life, and that he governed during twenty-seven years; accordingly his whole life must have amounted to one hundred and twenty-seven years.²¹ His tomb is in the vicinity of those of his renowned ancestors, Ebrâhim and Yusuf (u. w. b., etc.).

RECORD OF KALÛB, THE SON OF YÛFANNA.

Allah, the Most High, has said: ‘Two men of those who feared God, unto whom God had been gracious’ (till the end of the verse). It is said that in this blessed verse the words ‘two men’ point to Yoshua’ and Kalûb.²² The majority of theologians assert that he was a Divine messenger, and support their opinion by many quotations from the text of the Mosaic Law.

When Yoshua’ departed to the eternal mansion, and had entrusted all the affairs of the children of Esrâil to the care of Kalûb in his last will and injunctions, the latter began to govern the people, who obeyed him in all things. After Kalûb had arranged the religious and secular concerns, he ordered a great army to be enlisted, with whose victorious standards he started on an expedition for the purpose of attacking King Bâruq, and turned the conquering reins towards the region of Salam. When his august forces arrived in that country, they surrounded those mountains without any delay or procrastination, and having put to flight all who resisted, took possession of the citadel, and killed nearly two thousand of the rebels in the defiles and passes of the mountains, shaking the abode of the stability of those accursed ones to its foundations by the fiery wind of their attack. Bâruq, with many of his courtiers and adherents, fell into captivity; those who escaped the sword were scattered in deserts and mountains like locusts, and the effects of Kalûb’s prayers having overtaken them, all their sown fields, gardens, benefits, and comforts perished, so that everyone who had saved his life spent it henceforth in mendicancy, or supported it by collecting wood in misery and exile.

It is said that Bâruq had in his prison fifty kings whose fingers he had cut off,²³ and whom he was in the habit of bringing forward when he was at dinner, and of throwing crumbs of bread at them, for which they contended with each other like hungry dogs, and picked them up with their mouths. When Kalûb heard this he ordered Bâruq to be dealt with precisely in the same manner, and to be fed as he had been feeding others.

After obtaining this glorious victory by the favour of the Bestower and Creator—w. n. b. e.—Kalûb returned from that country and marched to Egypt. The children of Esrâil maintained themselves in the undisputed possession of the whole of Syria, with a portion of Egypt, and lived in comfort. Kalûb governed the people, and attended to the duties of his prophetic dignity, until his departure from this world approached, when he appointed his son Yusâqûs to be his successor, took leave of his life, and surrendered the jewel of his vitality to the grasper of souls:

As historians and chroniclers have not recorded his personal description, the duration of his mission and life, nor the place of his sepulture, it was impossible to narrate them in this place.

STORY OF HAZKIL THE PROPHET, KNOWN AS ‘THE SON OF
THE OLD WOMAN.’²⁴

Allah—w. n. b. e.—has said: ‘Hast thou not considered those who left their habitations, and they were thousands, for fear of death? and Allah said unto them, Die; then he restored them to life, for Allah is gracious towards mankind, but the greater part of them do not give thanks.’²⁵ Divines and commentators are at variance whether the dead were resuscitated by the instrumentality of Yoshua’, the son of Nûn, or Ashamail, or Hazkil; the most correct opinion, however, is that it had been done by the last-named individual.

Hazkil was the third successor after his lordship the speaker [with God]. The reason of his being called ‘the son of the old woman’ is, because his father had two wives, one of whom bore him ten sons, and the other [who afterwards became] the mother of ‘the son of the old woman’ was barren.²⁶ His father was the sacrificing priest of the children of Esrâil, and one of the duties of the said official was, that as soon as he perceived the sign of the acceptance of the sacrifice, he placed a forked iron, upon the two prongs of which there were figures of two dogs, into the meat, and whatever thereof stuck to those two figures, the sacrificer was allowed to dispose of for his own use.²⁷ One day the father of Hazkil had brought to his house the meat which had in this manner fallen to his share, divided it into twelve portions, eleven of which he gave to one of his wives, and to her children, and one portion to the mother of Hazkil, whom the other wife then insulted, saying: ‘The Lord Most High has, by means of my children, shown to me His preference over thee.’ These words distressed the [future] mother of Hazkil, who engaged in prayers from sunset till the next morning, and implored the Bestower of gifts to vouchsafe to present her with a pious son, in whose society she might while away the melancholy of solitude. She also besought the Granter of requests to give her a sign that her prayers had been responded to. When the sun rose, the old woman, whose courses had ceased for some time, again felt them coming upon her; the Omnipotent Inscrutable One presented her with the freshness and bloom of youth; her husband loved her more, and she gave birth to Hazkil, from whose forehead the signs of piety, intelligence, and felicity began to radiate, whereat the people were much astonished, and surnamed him the ‘son of the old woman.’ When Hazkil [had grown up and] became a prophet, he always admonished the children of Esrâil to follow the religion of Mûsa, to keep the Mosaic Law and the commandments of God, warning the people not to disobey them. After some time the Most High sent him on a mission to Ailia, whilst others allege that he was commanded to go to a town of the name of Dâvur, the inhabitants of which encouraged each other to wage a religious war [for the purpose of aiding Hazkil]; but as they were dilatory and procrastinating, the Lord of Majesty afflicted them with pestilence, on account of which they fled from the city; they had, however, run not more than one mile when they heard fearful shouts, in consequence of which all of them hastened to the next world. Ebn A’bbâs relates that they were four thousand in number, but Wuhub Bin Muniah asserts that they amounted to eighty thousand. It is also narrated by Ebn A’bbâs that after seven days had elapsed since the death of those people their corpses burst and stank. On that occasion Hazkil happened to have finished his devotions, and was passing that way, but feeling commiseration in his heart, he said: ‘O Lord, Thou hast destroyed these people!’ He then heard the answer: ‘They fled from the plague, therefore I displayed My power to them.’ Hazkil prayed to the Lord to resuscitate those men to life, and the request was granted; those people, however, not only themselves retained a cadaverous smell, but also their children and descendants were affected therewith. Wuhub states that their flesh had fallen to pieces, and their bones were also rotten when they were again restored to life by the prayers of Hazkil; the knowledge is, however, with Allah.²⁸

When the corpses were resuscitated they exclaimed: ‘Praise be to Thee, O Lord! There is no God but Thou!’ They arose from that place, returned to their country, and acted during the remainder of their lives according to the religion of Mûsa, until their predestined fate overtook them, and they were compelled by death to walk into the pleasant mansion of eternity. After Hazkil had for a long time remained among the children of those people who were sometimes obedient and at others rebellious towards him, his noble mind was so grieved that he departed from their country to the land of Babel, whence he was removed to the everlasting abode:

Distich:

A deceitful mansion must be this, Now in sorrow, now in bliss.

It is said that his lordship was interred between Hillah and Kufah, where the Jews greatly venerate his tomb. His personal description, duration of his mission, and of his life not being known, the musk-dripping reed must abstain from mentioning them.

RECORD OF ELIÂS [ELIJAH], THE PROPHET WHO ROAMED
IN DESERTS AND SOLITUDE.

His lordship was one of the greatest inspired prophets, and a descendant of Harûn. Some have asserted that Eliâs was Edris, whose corporeal figure had in ancient times disappeared from among the people, but whose spiritual essence had been raised to heaven, and had returned a second time in this age under the name of Eliâs, for the purpose of reclaiming the weak [in the Faith] and convincing the inadvertent and the careless, that although corruption destroys the body, it does not become the cause of real annihilation, and that the spiritual part, upon which the duties of obedience, knowledge and responsibility devolve, remains the same for ever and ever; and likewise of demonstrating to the infidels and to the ignorant that the Lord of Grandeur—w. n. b. pr.—is able to invest that spiritual essence with another garment, and to send it [again] another time among the people, according to his will and option, contrary to the [opinions of the] adherents of metempsychosis and the Halulians, all whose assertions are false and vain. At any rate, monotheists and the principal historians relate that when Hazkil left the children of Esrâil many accidents and misfortunes, as well as numerous wicked and rebellious acts took place among them, and that every one of the kings and tribes of the children of Esrâil who were dispersed over the regions of Syria and Egypt professed false and culpable religions, and entirely forgot the commandments of the Mosaic Law. Among the idolaters of that age there was the King of Ba’lbek, Vâjub by name, who proved to be very diligent in worshipping statues and figures. He possessed an idol seventy cubits high, named Ba’l, from whose internal parts Satan conversed with the people, ordered or prohibited them to do, or to abstain from what he pleased, and four hundred men guarded the temple of that idol. According to the opinion of several commentators, Ba’l was the name of a comely and well-shaped woman, the like of whom did not exist at that time, and the people who believed in her godhead adored her. When, however, the guilt and rebellion of the inhabitants of Ba’lbek had reached their utmost height, Eliâs was ordered and directed to guide them. He said to them, by way of admonition: ‘Do you invoke Ba’l and slight the blest Creator?’ He invited the people to profess the religion of Mûsa, and read the Mosaic law to them, but was, despite of all his efforts, unable to convert more than one man, who was the prime-minister of the king. Some have narrated that at the commencement the king had acted according to the religion of Mûsa and the command of Eliâs; he had, however, a wife, Arbil by name, who was extremely bloodthirsty and impudent, bearing hatred towards prophets. She had during her long life been successively married to seven kings of the children of Esrâil, every one of whom she succeeded in destroying some way or other. She had seventy sons [sic] in connection with whom she seduced the king, and forced the inhabitants of that country to worship Ba’l, to which opprobrious custom they became quite reconciled in course of time. When Arbil received information of the mission of Eliâs, the flames of wrath blazed up in her, and she prepared to slay him. The prophet, however, took refuge from the infidels among the mountains, where he remained alone and solitary in a cavern during seven years, notwithstanding the efforts of the spies of the king, who were unable to discover his hiding-place because the Lord and Sovereign-Guardian kept those malefactors away from him and preserved him by His infinite grace. After the expiration of seven years, however, the king’s son fell a prey to a dangerous malady, which made the doctors and physicians despair of his recovery. The king and the queen looked to Ba’l for the recovery of their son, and augmented their devotions, all of which remained fruitless; wherefore the servant of the idol-temple said: ‘Ba’l is angry with you because you have left Eliâs alive, and have ceased to persecute him. For, as long as he is alive, Ba’l will not speak, nor will he protect you from any misfortunes.’ The King of Ba’lbek said: ‘My mind is engrossed with the disease of my son, and I have not a moment’s peace or tranquillity; but if he gets better I shall make efforts, and do my best to discover, capture, and destroy Eliâs, in order to gain the favour of Ba’l.’ The servants of the idol-temple said: ‘It is proper for thee in this predicament to have recourse to the gods of the inhabitants of Syria, and to ask them to restore the health of thy son, so that if the wrath of Ba’l becomes propitiated, and thou acquirest his grace, he may arrange any affairs that will take place in future.’ At the instigation of these accursed ones the king accordingly fitted out four hundred individuals of this rebellious and irreligious nation, and sent them into the country of Syria, in order to intercede for the recovery of his son, and to return again, after having implored the various idols and gods to grant him tranquillity of mind. When they started in that direction, they happened, whilst crossing the desert, to reach the foot of a mountain, where Eliâs had taken up his abode. On that occasion he came down from the mountain by Divine command, and, beginning to admonish them, said: ‘Tell the king that God the Most High speaks thus to him: Knowest thou not that I am God, and that there is no other besides Me? I am the God of Ebrahim, of Esma’il, of Esahâq, of Ya’qûb, and of all the inhabitants of the world. I have created them, I provide for them, I cause them to live and to die. Thou associatest, in the littleness of thy intellect and in the perfection of thy folly, other gods with Me, and worshippest them; thou askest thy son’s health from them who can neither hurt nor profit thee. I swear by My majesty and glory that I shall pour out My wrath upon thee through thy son, whom I shall soon cause to die; for besides Me, no one has any anthority whatever.’ The courtiers of the King of Ba’lbek, who had listened to the words of Eliâs, trembled at them, and great fear overwhelmed their hearts. They returned to their country and delivered the message to the king, but the ill-fated and unhallowed wretch was determined to kill Eliâs, and selected fifty robbers from among his people, whom he despatched to that mountain for the purpose of obtaining possession of Eliâs by stratagem, and killing him by main force. The Most High, however, protected Eliâs, at whose request those who had striven to take his life were consumed by fire. That accursed one despatched men on several occasions, but they were every time destroyed by fire. At last he assembled a great multitude and appointed his Musalmân wazir over it, imagining that Eliâs, attracted by the presence of the wazir, would come forward, and might be captured in that way, if skill and cunning were properly employed. When the messengers arrived in the locality where Eliâs was, he received the [Divine] inspiration to accompany them for the purpose of fulfilling the requisites of celestial wisdom; not to fear for his life, to accompany the Musalmân wazir to the presence of the king, and that the hand of the Lord would shorten the power of the infidels, so that they would by no means be able to injure him. Therefore Eliâs travelled with the servants of the king to the country of Ba’lbek. When he met the king, the malady of whose son happened to be very violent, no one thought of doing the least harm to Eliâs; therefore the latter once more returned to the mountain, and remained there, until his exalted mind became weary of dwelling in mountains and caverns, and he felt inclined to live in a house. When he entered the city he accidentally happened to alight at the house of the mother of Yûnas, and sojourned therein six months. At that time Yûnas was a sucking babe, and his mother waited upon Eliâs with alacrity until he departed from that narrow house, and intended again to roam in the desert. After he had gone away the Lord of Magnificence— w. n. b. pr.—took the soul of Yûnas, whose mother was greatly distressed by this event, and also by the absence of Eliâs; therefore she hastened in pursuit of the latter, but was unable to find him before she had travelled seven days; whereon she explained to him her unhappy and disconsolate state, and requested him to resuscitate her child to life. Eliâs, however, refused, and said: ‘I am but a servant who is ordered about; I do the behest of my Lord, and He has not commanded me to do this.’ At these words the mother of Yûnas was so distressed that she rolled about on the earth, and again besought his lordship to help her. Eliâs pitied her, and then prayed as follows: ‘O Creator, and accommodating Maker, there is no mystery hidden from Thee:

On that occasion Eliâs returned, by Divine command, with the woman, reached her house after the expiration of seven days and nights, and ennobled it with his exalted presence. Yûnas, who had now been dead a fortnight, was, by the effects of his prayers, which were considered worthy of response, again resuscitated to life.²⁹ Then Eliâs departed to the mountain, but as the rebellion of his people became protracted, they ceased not to commit flagitious acts, so that he was much afflicted in his mind. Then this [Divine] allocution was addressed to him: ‘O Eliâs! whence this sadness? Why is thy mind so melancholy and depressed? Thou art a witness on earth and an argument to the people; ask Me, and I shall comply, for I am very merciful.’

Verses:

He said, ‘I ask the Knower of mysteries To allow me to leave the inn of this world; I want no longer to behold this people, Whose nature distresses me so much.’

Then the revelation arrived: ‘O Eliâs! what request is this? I shall not deprive the earth of the blessings of thy presence, since the prosperity of the people is bound up with thy existence; but I shall grant thee anything else thou wilt ask.’ Eliâs asked for a famine of seven years, and prayed that the rain and the descent of showers might become interrupted; he received, however, the following reply: ‘O Eliâs! the human race is to be supported, but if the benefits of rain are withdrawn therefrom, many people will be destroyed, and innumerable multitudes must perish. Though they oppress each other, the ocean of My mercy is greater than that I should for similar transgressions afflict the whole race. I shall nevertheless comply with thy request in so far as to surrender the reins of the loosing and stopping of the clouds into the hands of thy option, and allow thee during three years to interrupt or to let go the rain according to thy pleasure; nor shall one drop fall on the fields, harvests, or possessions, except by thy permission.’ The rain was accordingly withheld from that nation, the flames of scarcity and dearth blazed, the gates of affliction and misery were opened, and the inhabitants remained in that distressing condition for nearly three years.³⁰ Eliâs was accustomed to spend his time in the houses of some widows and pious persons, and every building in which he sojourned was, by the blessings of his advent, abundantly provided with all necessaries and comforts. The people therefore followed him, but he changed his habitation for that very reason, and thus it happened that he one night entered the habitation of Elisa’ [Elisha], the son of Akhtût, where he relieved an old woman of her pains by his orisons. From that time Elisa’, who was in the prime and vigour of manhood, became a follower of Eliâs; whereon they went together among the people, inviting them to profess the religion of Islâm, and promising them comfort and happiness, but could not effect anything; wherefore Eliâs harangued them as follows: ‘It is a long time since you are worshipping idols; take them therefore this day to the plain, and request them to grant you rain. If they comply with your request we shall cease our mission, and no longer invite you to accept our religion; but if your prayers remain unanswered, you must believe in the unity of God and the truth of our prophetic mission, and we shall offer a supplication, in consequence whereof the meadows of your hopes will be refreshed and drenched by the plentiful showers of the Bounteous Sovereign.’ Both parties agreed to these conditions, and when the people despaired of their idols Eliâs offered his supplications for rain; a cloud immediately appeared, increased in bulk, and by the command of the Most Wise Sovereign abundant rain fell, and changed the whole country to its first state. The inhabitants then complained that they had no seeds or grains for sowing; therefore his lordship ordered them to pound salt, and to strew it on the ground, from which the Most High produced harvests for them. The people, however, relapsed, despite of their former afflictions and of these miracles, again into their infidelity, and were not afraid to break the covenant into which they had entered. Then Eliâs prayed to be delivered of the company of those people. Therefore the Omnipotent appointed a time at which their separation was to take place, and when it was near at hand Eliâs went with Elisa’ to the mountain, where a horse with all the requisites for riding made its appearance, and everything was [like] burning fire. Eliâs put his foot into the stirrup, took leave of Elisa’, appointed him his successor, and left him his woollen cloak.³¹ At that moment all physical impulses abandoned his lordship, his connection with all corporeal attributes closed, and the Lord God removed him from the view of mortals:

Distich:

Intercourse is painful, company is grief, Therefore the sage retires into solitude.

STORY.

It is related in the A’râis that a man from the country of A’sqallân said: ‘I was once travelling at mid-day in the plain of Ardan when I suddenly met a person whom I saluted and asked: “Who art thou, and what art thou doing in this desert?” He replied: “I am the prophet Eliâs.” I began to tremble when I heard these words, and said: “O prophet of Allah! pray that this state may leave me, for I have several questions [to ask thee].” His lordship then prayed and placed his hands upon my back, so that I felt their cold and freshness on my breast. I asked: “O prophet of Allah! do any revelations now descend to thee?” Eliâs replied: “Since the mission of the Lord Muhammad the gates of [Divine] inspiration and revelation have been closed, nor will any person after him obtain a revelation.” I continued: “How many prophets are still alive at present?” He replied: “Four, namely, I’sa [Jesus] and Edris [Enoch] in heaven, but myself and Khizer on earth.” I asked: “How many su??cedaneous religious men are in existence among the people of Muhammad, and where do they dwell?” He said: “They are sixty in number, fifty of whom are settled from the heights of Egypt down to the river Euphrates; two dwell at Massissa, one at A’sqallân, and seven in all the remaining countries [of the world]. When one of them dies, the Most High substitutes that very moment another in his place.”³² He continued: “Merwân was a rebellious man and resisted God; and those who fought on his side are obnoxious, and will be punished by hell-fire.” I said: “O prophet of Allah! I happened to be present in some of his battles, but I neither pierced, nor struck, nor did anything of the kind. Tell me what will be my fate?” He replied: “Thou hast done well by abstaining from similar acts. Be no longer present on such occasions.” Then he produced two loaves whiter than snow, which we consumed together. On that occasion he looked around in the desert, when a she-camel suddenly made her appearance and halted in front of him. When he was about to mount, I said: “O prophet of Allah! I should like to accompany thee.” He rejoined: “That is not possible.” I continued: “I have no bag or baggage.” He continued: “Thy wish cannot be fulfilled.” He added: “My intention is to remain in constant prayer at the Holy House [in Jerusalem] during the [Lent] month Ramazân.” He then mounted the camel, and disappeared from my sight.’

HIS PERSONAL DESCRIPTION, LAW, SOJOURN, AND HIS
PEOPLE.

It is said that his blessed person was slender, his stature tall, and his hair curled. The skin of his precious body was hard, and he was always dressed in woollen garments. His religion was that of Mûsa, and he acted according to the Mosaic Law.

He mostly dwelt in deserts and wildernesses, to assist and guide those who were fatigued or had lost their way, and to direct them to the road of salvation. It is said that every year on the Azha-feast³³ he meets the lord Khizer in the mosque of Qabba, where they regulate the devotions of the people.

It is related that after his lordship had departed from the people a tyrannical king governed them, and extirpated the whole nation with the sword, stringing the pearls of life of those rebels with the strokes of the diamond-coloured scimetar upon the thread of annihilation, because the commands of God are fore-ordained. As the length of the mission of Eliâs is not known, and he never ceased to live, nothing can be said on these points. Allah is most wise!

RECORD OF ELISA’ [ELISHA], THE SON OF AKHTÛT.³⁴

Elisa’ was a prophet, the successor of the lord Eliâs, of high dignity, and enjoying full authority among the children of Esrâil. The Jews allege that he was engaged in ploughing and cultivating the ground, when Eliâs was informed one day by divine revelation to appoint him his successor. Accordingly he accosted Elisa’ whilst engaged in his usual avocation and threw his mantle upon him,³⁵ which produced such an effect that he immediately stepped forward and said: ‘If thou wilt permit, I shall take leave of my parents, be at thy service, and follow thee.’ Eliâs asked: ‘What have I done that thou sayest this? And what hast thou seen of me?’ Elisa’s wish to serve him increased—a ray of divine light was shining in his breast; he quickly broke up his agricultural instruments, killed his ox for a sacrifice, distributed its meat as alms, joined Eliâs, and accompanied him wherever he went; until at last, after Eliâs, he governed the people of Esrâil, read the Mosaic Law to them, explained and revived the ordinances of the religion of Mûsa. He was in the habit of fasting during the day, and keeping vigils in the night. He also worked numerous miracles, some of which are as follows: The inhabitants of Ariha [Jericho] complained of the saltness of their water, whereon he took a lump of salt, threw it into the water, and said: ‘Be thou sweet, by the permission of the Most High.’ The water then immediately became sweet like honey. On another occasion a widow complained of her poverty, of the indebtedness of her late husband, and of the taking away of her children by creditors. His lordship asked: ‘What hast thou in thy house?’ She replied: ‘I have but one potful of oil.’ Elisa’ said: ‘Pour that oil into one vessel, and from that again into another.’ The woman did as she was bidden, and the oil became so abundant that the vessels could not hold it, so that at last all the inhabitants filled their jugs with oil.³⁶ In this manner her debts were paid, and she became perfectly comfortable. Once he alighted at the house of a man whose wife was barren, and by his request Elisa’ implored the Almighty, who then presented the master of the house with a pious son; the infant, however, having shortly afterwards died, he begged his lordship to resuscitate him, which request was also granted. On another occasion his disciples were preparing some food, one of whom threw some coloquinth into it by mistake; a voice, however, immediately issued from the food, saying: ‘Whoever eats of these victuals will die.’³⁷ As soon as his lordship had been apprised of this [warning] he poured some flour and water into the pot, uttered an invocation, whereon all ate of the food and no injury ensued.³⁸ He was in the habit of instructing the children of Esrâil about the intentions of their antagonists, and in the art of war, to enable them to fight any enemy with full confidence, so that one of the kings who opposed them said to his courtiers: ‘I do not know who is informing those people about our designs, and who divulges among them our secrets.’ They replied: ‘News concerning future events and hidden affairs are the business of the prophet Elisa’.’ The king was incensed with wrath, and started with a numerous army to attack the children of Esrâil, and suddenly took Elisa’ prisoner; but his lordship prayed that the eyes of his enemies might become void of the ornament of light, which having taken place, he escaped from the grasp of the foes of the religion.³⁹ On another occasion some guests arrived at the house of Elisa’, whereon he ordered his servant to bring forth the table, but the menial replied: ‘There are more than one hundred guests, and only twenty loaves.’⁴⁰ The prophet replied: ‘They will all become satiated, and the breads will remain as they are.’ The servant then produced the loaves, and though the guests ate abundantly, no diminution of the food could be perceived. The king of Damascus having been afflicted with the distemper of leprosy, despatched a message to one of the wise men of Esrâil, requesting him to send a skilful physician. Elisa’ was applied to, and he said that it would be necessary for the king to enter a river, in order to get rid of the disease. The messenger returned disappointed and reported the answer to the king, [who demurred to the proposal]; the intelligent among his people, however, advised him that it would at any rate be incumbent upon him to make a trial. The king accordingly entered the water and bathed, and when he came out of it the malady had totally disappeared. The king was so happy that he sent costly garments and purses full of gold to Elisa’. His lordship would accept nothing, but his servant was so greedy that he went in pursuit of the messenger, and took two purses of gold from him.⁴¹ At that moment Elisa’ became aware of what had taken place, and cursed his servant, who thereon became afflicted with the complaint of the King of Damascus. Once there happened to be a great dearth and famine in Syria, because an army from various sides had congregated to besiege the children of Esrâil. On that occasion Elisa’ said to the people: ‘To-morrow corn will be so cheap that everyone will be astonished; and victuals will be sold at a very low price.⁴² The chamberlain of the king laughed, and said: ‘If God—w. n. b. pr.—opens windows in the sky and pours down corn from them, cheapness will not take place.’⁴³ Elisa’ replied: ‘Thou wilt see it, but not eat of it.’ The next morning the enemies heard the clashing of arms, the neighing of horses, and the fighting of champions,⁴⁴ whereon all fled without any visible cause. The children of Esrâil having thus been delivered from the confinement of the siege, hastened out of the town, took possession of all the provisions of the enemy, and found them to be so abundant that they did not take them all. A crowd happened to meet the chamberlain who had scoffed, and slew him in the most ignominious manner.⁴⁵ When the death of Elisa’ was near at hand he informed the king of the period thereof; he also told him that he would thrice conquer the army of Egypt, and this prediction was likewise fulfilled. Several historians narrate, that, besides the above miracles, he also worked many others, to mention which would [unduly] lengthen this narrative. As the children of Esrâil sometimes obeyed, and at others resisted, him, he became weary [of life], so that at last he prayed to the Lord of Magnificence to be received into higher society, and into the company of prophets. After this request had been granted he called for Zulkefl, appointed him his successor, and his precious soul was conveyed to the Lord of both worlds.

RECORD OF THE PROPHET ZULKEFL.

Divines are at variance concerning the personality of Zulkefl. Some allege that he was Hazkil, others that he was Bashir, the son of Aiûb the patient, whose original name was Bashar. The most correct opinion, however, is that he was the successor of Elisa’, and that Hazkil, as well as Bashar, the son of Aiûb, whose cognomen was likewise Zulkefl, were his predecessors.

It is related in the Asûl Lama’a that he obtained the above epithet because he stood security,⁴⁶ and pledged himself to Elisa’ to induce the children of Esrâil to follow his direction and guidance in studying the Mosaic Law and its commandments. Others state that he was called by this name because he was a courtier of one of the kings of Syria, whose favour he enjoyed in a high degree. This king, having entertained great enmity towards the children of Esrâil, invaded their country on several occasions, captured many, and slew them. Once he sent a division of his brave warriors to attack the children of Esrâil, and after a severe struggle they took nearly one hundred of the learned, the pious, and the great among the Jews, prisoners, and sent them to the king, who desired to exterminate them all. Zulkefl, however, immediately waited upon the king and hindered the execution, saying: ‘It is now late [in the evening], and the time to carry out the judgment has elapsed. If your majesty will entrust this company to my keeping I shall be security, and pledge myself to produce them all on the place of execution in the morning.’ The king then ordered them to be delivered to Zulkefl, who took the children of Esrâil to his house, relieved them of their yokes and fetters, treated them honourably and hospitably, but dismissed them after the repast at midnight. Thus the prisoners escaped from their enemies. Zulkefl, who likewise withdrew himself from the responsibility to, and reproach of, the king, was from that day called by the above cognomen, and exalted, on account of that noble deed, to the dignity of a prophet, thus reaching the highest point of messengership [or apostleship].

Sadr-ud-din Esfahâni narrates in his Muntahab-ul-Ma’arif that the Almighty—w. n. b. e.—sent Zulkefl to one of the A’mâlekite kings, whose name was Kana’an, for the purpose of inviting him to receive the Faith. The king replied: ‘I am conscious of having committed great crimes, and perpetrated many unrighteous acts; but as thou wantest me to accept the religion, I need a proof that my transgressions will be overlooked after my death, and that I shall attain the bliss of paradise. How could I otherwise know whether my profession of religion has been accepted or not?’ Zulkefl agreed to this, and wrote a certificate of security, which he surrendered to him.⁴⁷ The king then retired from the world and engaged in devotions; when he died the above writing was interred with him; the Most High—w. n. b. e.—accepted the security of Zulkefl, and conveyed the said king to the upper regions of paradise, and to the mansions of grace. Many who had seen the writing when the king was about to be buried bore testimony to the prophetic dignity of Zulkefl, were converted, and became Musalmâns; he therefore also gave security to all of them, that they would attain paradise and the company of Hûris and slaves, whereafter this title adhered to him for all time to come. When the period of his departure had arrived, he was, in the company of exalted angels and noble spirits, translated to the highest regions of paradise. His body was interred in a region of Syria.

Verses:

This is the way and custom of the world, It can stop no one from being fugitive. Countless numbers have ended thus, The end of numbers has never reached us.

RECORD OF THE PROPHET SHAMUIL [SAMUEL].

During the time of his prophecy A’ali [Eli]—u. w. b., etc.—was Emâm. The children of Esrâil had become weak; party-strife and divisions prevailed among them; they were overpowered by their antagonists and enemies who wished to extirpate them; accordingly the A’mâlekites pillaged them and slew them whenever they could. They even took possession of the ark of tranquillity, and conveyed it to their own country⁴⁸ with four hundred descendants of prophets and princes, and imposed a tax upon those whom their swords had spared. The Jews, therefore, addressed their prayers to the Lord of Magnificence, and asked for an inspired prophet or messenger by whose aid and guidance they might get rid of the calamity of their enemies, abolish the customs imposed upon them by their oppressors, and utterly expel them by routing them in battle.

At that time no one was left of the family of prophets except the Emâm A’ali, and a barren woman of the name of Hanna,⁴⁹ whose husband was Helkan, of the tribe of Lâvi. When it was time to go on pilgrimage and to circumambulate the Holy House [of Jerusalem], both of them entered together the sanctuary where they offered their supplications, that a son worthy of the dignity of a prophet might be vouchsafed unto them. On that occasion the Emâm A’ali was sitting on the chair of Emâmship, heard their groanings, and assisted them likewise with his own prayers, which the Lord of Grandeur answered. Helkan then returned home with his spouse, and Hanna became that very night pregnant with Shamuil. When that infant was born, and the time of sucking had elapsed, she brought Shamuil to A’ali, whose service he entered, and was engaged in doing duty in the Holy House, in devotions, and in the study of the Mosaic Law, until the time when he received his mission.

It is related that one night, when he was in a state between waking and sleeping, he heard someone calling out to him. He thought it was the Emâm A’ali, arose, and hastened to him,⁵⁰ but the latter told him to return to his place. The call was, however, thrice repeated to Shamuil, who went to A’ali, but the latter ordered him, if he again heard the voice, to remain in his place, to answer, and quickly to report what he had heard. When Shamuil heard the voice for the fourth time he said: ‘I hear and obey.’⁵¹ Then the allocution of the Almighty was addressed to him as follows: ‘O excellent servant of the Lord of Glory:

After this the allocution ceased, Shamuil went to the Emâm A’ali and informed him of the contents; A’ali, however, resigned himself to his fate, saying: ‘To Allah belongs the government of the past and the future! He is the most just of the just!’

In that year, which was the fortieth of Shamuil’s age, the Emâm A’ali was with his children removed from the perishable to the imperishable abode, and the government of the people of Esrâil as well as the prophetic dignity devolved upon Shamuil. After he had administered both these offices during ten years, he transferred the affairs of his people to his son Yuâil;⁵³ but as in those days the Jews had fallen into an extremely weak condition, and their affairs were retrograding, they came in great numbers to Shamuil, and asked him to appoint a judge over them⁵⁴ who would be able to repel their enemies, to remove their difficulties, and should at the same time excel his contemporaries in strength and valour. After Shamuil had made the necessary contracts and covenants, he besought the Most High to grant their prayers, and after he had obtained certainty of compliance with his request, he told the nation that their king would neither be a descendant of prophets nor of a royal dynasty, and that his name would be Shâuk [Saul]. It is said that as in those times the prophetic dignity was confined to the tribe of Lâvi and royalty to the children of Yahuda, and as Tâlut, who was also called Shâuk, belonged to the tribe of Ebn Yamin, some of the children of Esrâil were startled by the information, and said: ‘How can a man like him become a king, and how can he be worthy of the royal dignity? for we have a better right to it than he.’ Shamuil replied: ‘God is most just and most wise! Royalty belongs to Him, and He bestows it upon whom He likes, and takes it away from whom He likes. It is evident the gifts of God are not granted to anyone who does not merit them.’ [It is said in the Qurân] ‘Thou givest the kingdom to whom Thou wilt, and deprivest thereof whom Thou wilt.’ At last the people assented and queried what would be the signs of his [selection for the] royal dignity? Shamuil replied: ‘When he comes the ark of tranquillity will [also] make its appearance, and the holy oil will increase and ferment.’ The next day the children of Esrâil were sitting around the ark of testimony and the holy temple, being engaged in the discussion of the affairs of the kingdom, as well as preparation of the means for fighting and repelling the emeny. On that occasion Shâuk all of a sudden stepped in among them, and the holy oil, which was in the keeping of the prophets, and was preserved in one of the horns of the cow of Mûsa, commenced to boil. Shamuil then called out to Shâuk, holding a staff in his hand which was equal to him in height. This staff he placed in contact with the person of Shâuk, and found it to be precisely of the same length. Then he poured some oil upon the head of Tâlut [i.e., Shâuk; i.e., Saul] and declared him to be the king of the children of Esrâil.⁵⁵ The assembly of the people congratulated him on his having attained the royal dignity, and the ark of tranquillization, described in these pages in the account of Mûsa—u. w. b., etc.—was produced. Then everyone became convinced of Shâuk’s royal dignity and the government of the children of Esrâil devolved upon him.

RECORD OF SHÂUK’S [SAUL’S] WAR WITH KALIATH
[GOLIATH].

The origin of this event is that the Philistines had stretched forth the hand of enmity against the children of Esrâil, in the time of the prophets Emâm A’ali and Shamuil, and had completely overpowered them. Kaliath [Goliath], who is in Arabic called Jalût, attacked them several times, robbed and plundered them. After slaying the men and making the women prisoners, he imposed a tribute upon those who were spared by the sword. Therefore the children of Esrâil made great efforts during the reign of Tâlut [i.e., Saul], to remove this calamity, made it their principal business to expel the unbelieving A’mâlekites, and to avenge themselves upon them. They placed eighty thousand warriors at the disposal of Shâuk [i.e., Saul],⁵⁶ who invaded with them the country of Jalût [Goliath]. When the latter was informed of the approach of the army, he quickly got the ammunitions of war ready, and hastened to meet his antagonists. As Shamuil had, however, apprised Tâlut [Saul] that but a small portion of his army would obey him in all things, and that the others would rebel against him, and had given him the required information concerning the desert, its burning sun, the calamity of thirst, and the manner how to quench it, therefore Tâlut [Saul] harangued his army as soon as it had entered the desert, saying: ‘The great heat of the sun will distress you, and thirst will overpower you in this desert. But when you arrive near water, be careful not to drink more than one draught, because whoever consumes more than he needs, or takes some away to preserve it, will incur the wrath of the Almighty—w. n. b. pr.—his thirst will not be quenched, and he will have no share in the great victory.’ The warriors promised to obey his injunction, and marched on their expedition; but when they issued from the desert, and met, between Filisteen and Ardan, a river, which had been promised by his lordship the prophet, the majority, being extremely thirsty, leapt into the water, and the majority of the army was unable to restrain itself. Everyone who took one draught was satisfied, but whoever drank more, or wished to make a provision, remained thirsty as before. Tâlut then marched with four thousand of the obedient against Jalût; seventy-six thousand men, however, who had rebelled, lagged behind. Jalût encountered Tâlut with one hundred thousand swordsmen, and when the Esrâilites approached the army of Jalût, they exclaimed: ‘To-day we have no strength to contend with Jalût and his host.’ And most of them abandoned Tâlut. It is said that of the four thousand not more than three hundred and thirteen men remained with him, thus equalling the army of Bedr.⁵⁷ This company, however, marched in accordance with the verse, ‘How often have the few conquered the many!’ and intended to attack Jalût. Tâlut then drew up his warriors—who were distinguished by bravery among their contemporaries—in battle-array, and invoked the Lord of Self-existence, saying: ‘Lord! grant us patience, strengthen our footing, and cause us to vanquish the infidel nation!’ When Jalût perceived the smallness of Tâlut’s army, he was ashamed to attack in battle-array a company of three hundred and thirteen individuals, therefore he determined to challenge the sons of Esrâil to single combat. He mounted a piebald horse, armed himself, entered the battle-field, and invited Tâlut to come forward to fight him, or, if he could not do so, to send someone else with whom he might measure his strength. Hereupon Tâlut caused a herald to shout the following words: ‘Whoever will fight Jalût in single combat, and will conquer him, shall obtain my daughter for a wife, and shall govern my country.’ Though these words were often repeated, no one answered, from awe of the prowess and strength of Jalût, he being an extremely powerful and valiant infidel who had no rival. At last Dâud—u. w. b., etc.—stepped forth, offered himself to fight Jalût, and stood on the battle-field like a furious lion.

RECORD OF THE PUBLIC LIFE OF DÂUD [DAVID], THE SON OF AISHA.⁵⁸ HIS GOING TO FIGHT JALÛT, WITH HIS HAPPY AND VICTORIOUS RETURN FROM THE BATTLE-FIELD.

Dâud was a prophet and a descendant of Yahuda, the son of Ya’qûb. According to a tradition, Aisha had thirteen sons, the youngest of whom was Dâud, and also the smallest in stature. By the advice of his father he always carried about a sling, a bag full of stones, and a shepherd’s staff. It is related that one day he said to his father: ‘Everything which the stone of my sling hits is killed.’ Aisha said: ‘It appears that God—w. n. b. e.—has appointed thy fortune to depend upon thy sling.’ On another occasion Dâud said: ‘I have in yonder dale seen, in a vision, a lion who was tame. I mounted him, took him by the ears, and he obeyed me.’ His father replied: ‘It appears that the Gracious Lord will subject a man of high station to thy power.’ On another occasion he said to his father: ‘When I am walking about in the mountains, and praising God, they likewise do so.’⁵⁹ Aisha replied: ‘This is good news, for the boundless and disinterested Bestower will grant thee benefits and signs.’

Several historians have related that when Tâlut was ordered to wage war against Jalût, Shamuil had received the divine revelation that one of the sons of Aisha would slay Jalût, and that if the horn containing the holy oil were placed upon his head it would flow out, and become stationary thereon, in the form of a diadem; and that a certain cuirass would fit his body, being neither too small nor too large for it. Shamuil then went to the house of Aisha, who presented to him his twelve sons. They were all young, well-shaped, and beautiful. One, however, being superior to all the others in freshness, height, and strength, Shamuil imagined that this youth would probably become the destroyer of Jalût, but the following Divine allocution reached him: ‘O Shamuil! thou selectest the people according to their comeliness and beauty; I, however, choose my servants according to the purity of their hearts.’ Shamuil prayed, and said: ‘O Lord, I have tried the sons of Aisha, and have not found among them the promised individual.’ Then the revelation came: ‘He has yet another son, and to whom that important matter will be entrusted.’ Shamuil then said to Aisha: ‘Produce also thy last son.’ The father replied: ‘I have no other son.’ Shamuil continued: ‘The Lord, who knows what is patent and what is concealed, has informed me that thou hast another son.’ Aisha said: ‘I have a little son, but on account of his small stature, blue eyes, and want of beauty, I do not consider him to be a man. Now he is engaged in yonder place pasturing the sheep.’ Shamuil went to the locality, arrived in a valley abundantly provided with water, and there perceived Dâud, taking up two sheep at a time and crossing the water with them. Shamuil now perceived by the light of prophecy that in this individual the promise would be fulfilled. He therefore accosted Dâud with a salutation, placed the above-mentioned oil on his head,⁶⁰ and dressed him in the coat of mail; the former overflowed its vessel, fixed itself on the youth’s head in the shape of a crown, and the latter perfectly fitted his august body. After that Shamuil asked Dâud whether he had in these days experienced anything strange. He replied: ‘One of these days I heard a stone saying: “O Dâud! I am the stone of Harûn; with me he has killed such and such an enemy. Take me up, for I shall be of use to thee.” From another stone I also heard the following words: “I am the stone of Mûsa; with me he has slain such and such an enemy.” In the same manner I heard also another stone say: “I am the stone of Dâud, and by means of me he will kill Jalût.” Then the two other stones again said: “We shall assist thee to kill Jalût.” His own stone then said: “When thou meetest Jalût place me into thy sling, throw me at him, and I shall prostrate him;” and when I placed these three stones into my bag they became one stone.’ When Shamuil had heard these words, he said: ‘Be of good cheer, Dâud, because the royal and the prophetic dignity of the people of Esrâil has fallen to thy share; thou must, however, conceal this information, and reveal it to no one.’

Some accredited historians have, however, narrated this story in their books in another manner, informing us that Aisha had with his twelve sons been in the army of Tâlut, and that Dâud was preparing some food, when he was all of a sudden addressed by a stone as follows: ‘O Dâud, take me up! I am the stone of Esahâq, and by my assistance he has killed such and such an enemy; I shall slay also Jalût.’ Dâud took it up and placed it into his bag, but after he had walked a few steps he heard another voice from a stone as follows: ‘O Dâud, take me up! I am the stone of Ya’qûb; he has killed such and such an enemy with me.’ This stone he likewise took, and placed it near the first one. After a short while he again heard a voice from another stone, thus: ‘O Dâud, take me up! for I am the stone of Ebrahim. By means of me he has killed his enemies.’ Dâud then picked up this stone also and placed it in his bag. When he arrived in the camp he perceived a herald, who shouted: ‘The king says, Whoever will come forward and slay Jalût in single combat shall obtain my daughter for a spouse, and become my partner in the government.’ After hearing these words Dâud said to his brothers: ‘Why does not one of you attack Jalût, and kill him, and become the son-in-law of the king?’ His brothers replied: ‘Thou art but a senseless fool, and therefore thou speakest thus! Knowest thou not that no one is able to meet and to fight Jalût?’ Dâud rejoined: ‘I shall enter the lists with Jalût, and slay him.’ His brothers replied: ‘Be silent! for thou art void of the ornament of intellect.’ Dâud then approached the herald without the leave of his brothers, and said: ‘Inform the king that I am the man who will attack Jalût, and will exterminate him.’ The herald went to the foot of Tâlut’s throne and informed him that no one had accepted the challenge to fight Jalût, except a boy of the children of Esrâil. The king then ordered Dâud to be brought forward, and examined his lordship, who replied: ‘O king, if thou wilt keep thy promise, I shall this moment conquer Jalût and his army!’ Tâlut, being astonished at this offer, asked: ‘How wilt thou, who hast a despicable body and a weak stature, obtain the strength to resist Jalût, who is a valorous man of strong body?⁶¹ Hast thou ever tried to strike or pierce?’ He replied: ‘When I was pasturing the sheep sometimes a wild beast, such as a lion or tiger, attacked my flock, but I tore the body of my enemy to pieces by the strength of my fist without the assistance of sword or knife.’ When Tâlut perceived that Dâud was determined to fight Jalût he provided him with a horse and cuirass, and sent him to attack Jalût. It is said that this coat of mail was the same which Shamuil had given to Tâlut, with the information that he whom it fitted perfectly would kill Jalût; and as it suited Dâud excellently, Tâlut was greatly pleased. After that sublime youth had mounted the horse and had progressed a few paces, he returned, alighted, and sent the horse with the cuirass to the king, who with his courtiers then imagined that the boy was awed by Jalût, and had repented of his intention to fight him. Tâlut accordingly called Dâud, and asked why he had returned the horse and the arms. His prophetic lordship, however, replied: ‘I am not accustomed to fight with accoutrements and arms.⁶² If you will allow me I shall enter the lists in my own way, and shall fight in that manner.’ The king said: ‘Take thy choice.’ Therefore Dâud went with his sling bag, and staff to meet Jalût, who asked him for what purpose he had come. Dâud replied: ‘I have come to fight and to kill thee.’ Jalût asked by way of sarcasm: ‘With what arms wilt thou fight me? Strike me with all thy might with this staff.’⁶³ Dâud pointed to his sling, and after some conversation put his blessed hand into the bag and drew forth the three stones which had become one, placed them into the sling, projected them at Jalût and opened his mouth, praising the Benign Sovereign. On that occasion the angels, beasts, birds, and trees united with him in magnifying God,⁶⁴ so that the whole universe resounded. The enemies heard terrible voices; fear and trembling overwhelmed their hearts, and a vehement storm commenced to blow, which took off the helmet from Jalût’s unhallowed head, though, according to tradition, it weighed one hundred and twenty pounds. The stone [thrown by Dâud] was in the air divided into three pieces, one of which struck the forehead of Jalût, passed through the brain, came out at the back of his head, and he fell from his horse. The remaining [two] stones sped towards the right and the left [flank of the army], and the opponents of the religion were put to flight, the children of Esrâil pursuing them with the pitiless sword. Dâud approached the corpse of Jalût, separated its head from the body, and brought it to Tâlut,⁶⁵ throwing it to the ground in front of him. The adherents of monotheism greatly rejoiced, and returned victoriously to their own country. After the expiration of a few days Dâud requested Tâlut to fulfil his promise; as the king had already repented thereof he was displeased with the words of Dâud, but nevertheless said to him: ‘I am determined to keep my word, but the marriage portion of my daughter is quite different from that of other persons, and consists of something particular.’ Dâud inquired what it was to be, and Tâlut replied: ‘Thou must cut out the tongues of three hundred men of the enemies of my exalted monarchy and must bring them here, that I may give thee my daughter.’ Tâlut spoke thus, because he imagined Dâud would be unable to fulfil this condition, and would be slain in the attempt to comply therewith. When, however, Dâud heard these words he started on a warlike expedition, whereon he put to flight an army as numerous as locusts; he also took many captives, and having cut out the tongues of three hundred of them, brought them to Tâlut, who was nevertheless reluctant to fulfil his agreement with Dâud, until the elders of the children of Esrâil, with Shamuil, went to Tâlut and reproached him greatly, whereon he was under the necessity of bestowing one of the inmates of his chamber of modesty for a consort upon the Lord Dâud, whose praises were in the mouths of the high and the low, so that all the children of Esrâil obeyed and loved him; but for this reason the flames of envy were kindled in the breast of Tâlut;⁶⁶ as long, however, as Shamuil was alive, he felt restrained from giving vent to his ire, but after the demise of his lordship, the king said to one of his sons: ‘Slay Dâud,⁶⁷ because I fear the dominion and government will be transferred from our to his family.’ The son objected, saying: ‘How could we act thus, considering the obligations under which we are toward Dâud?’ This remark, however, proved to be useless, and the father persisted in his wrath and rancour; therefore the son informed his sister that the king intended to kill David, and that she was to warn the latter to be on his guard. After that Tâlut consulted his intimate ministers concerning the murder of Dâud, and they assured him that it might be easily accomplished with the assistance of Dâud’s wife. Tâlut accordingly hastened to the house of his beloved daughter, and said to her: ‘Thy father has a wish which may be fulfilled with thy aid and co-operation.’ The daughter asked: ‘What is it, that I may employ my best efforts to accomplish thy will?’ The king said: ‘It is the murder of thy husband Dâud.’ The daughter answered: ‘I dread, lest Dâud become aware of thy intention, and, girding the loins of enmity, destroy thee.’ Tâlut rejoined: ‘Thou lovest thy consort more than me, and therefore thou agreest not with me to remove him.’ The daughter continued: ‘By a stratagem we may attempt to destroy Dâud, and I shall inform your majesty when the first opportunity presents itself.’ After hearing these words, Tâlut departed joyfully to his castle; that faithful wife, however, informed her husband of the danger, and put him on his guard; and with his approbation she placed shortly afterwards a leather bag, equal to him in length and full of wine, into his bed on a certain night, dressed in the garments of his lordship.⁶⁸ Then she hastened to her father, and said: ‘I have given much wine to Dâud; now he is asleep in his bed.’ It is said that in their religion the drinking of wine was not forbidden. As soon as Tâlut had received the above information he rejoiced at the opportunity, approached the couch of David with an excellent sword, and struck it with such force that he cut the garments and the leather bag in twain, so that a few drops of wine were squirted into the face of Tâlut, and he exclaimed: ‘May Allah have mercy on Dâud for having been so intemperate in drinking wine.’ There are various traditions that the repentance of Tâlut dated from this act, whilst according to others he never repented at all, but according to some he did so near the end of his life; some of these only will be narrated, lest this recital should become too long.

Some say that as Tâlut imagined he had slain Dâud he immediately repented, and intended to commit suicide by throwing himself on his own sword; his daughter, however, hindered him, and asked for the motive of such a rash deed? Tâlut answered: ‘I repent having killed Dâud, and as I know the children of Esrâil will slay me in return, and that I have incurred the wrath of the Mighty Avenger, I shall kill myself with my own hand as an expiation for my crime.’ When the daughter beheld the weeping and distress of her father, she said: ‘Be not dismayed, for Dâud is alive.’ Tâlut then went aside, and his daughter called Dâud, who issued from his hiding-place and said to Tâlut: ‘I knew that Satan had seduced thee to commit this act; I forgive thee, but if God punishes thee for it I shall not be responsible.

It is narrated according to accredited traditions, that when Tâlut imagined he had slain Dâud, he returned from his daughter’s house to his own castle, and sat down with a relieved mind. The night after this event, Dâud— u. w. b., etc.—came to the couch of Tâlut, and fixed one of his arrows at the head, and another at the foot of it, as well as a third arrow on the left side thereof; then he immediately departed. When it was morning Tâlut awoke from his sleep, recognised the arrows, and knew that Dâud was alive. He then heaved a deep sigh from his sorrowful heart, and said: ‘The Almighty will pardon Dâud because he is more noble-minded and better than myself, because I have, with the intention of overcoming him, causelessly meditated his death, and he, who, after this my crime, has overcome me, nevertheless spared my life.’

After this event Dâud kept himself concealed, and roamed about secretly in the town and the desert, but the spouse of his lordship spread the rumour of her husband’s death among the people. It is related that one day Tâlut discovered Dâud in the plain, and tried to overtake him on horseback; the latter, however, with whom [even] the ambling nag of the sphere was unable to cope in celerity, began to run, and disappeared from the sight of the tyrant, obtaining refuge in a cave, over the entrance of which a spider had, by divine command, stretched her net at that very moment. A short time afterwards Tâlut reached the cavern, but, seeing the cobweb, returned disappointed and hopeless. After that he sent spies in pursuit of Dâud, but, attracted by these and similar blameworthy deeds, the Jewish divines and priests then prohibited him from injuring Dâud. For this reason Tâlut was overpowered with anger, and issued orders for the extermination of the nobles of the kingdom. The ignorant, who were constantly boasting of their enmity towards the learned, then killed them wherever they could find them. They went even so far as to bring a woman who possessed some instruction, and to whom the ineffable name of God—whose majesty be magnified—had been revealed, into the presence of Tâlut, who delivered her to an official for execution; he, however, unwilling to carry out the sentence upon the unfortunate woman, concealed her in his house. Some time afterwards Tâlut repented of his deeds, became penitent, wandered every night into cemeteries with wailings and lamentations, saying: ‘Who knows whether the repentance of a disobedient servant like myself has been accepted or not?’ Then he heard a voice as follows: ‘O Tâlut, thou hast done what thou hast done, and hast taken mortal vengeance on the learned and the priests of the children of Esrâil; now, however, thou hast come to distress us, and allowest not the dead to take their rest! How is it that the living and the dead are suffering at thy hands?’ The grief and sorrow of Tâlut were augmented by these words, so that he was in agonies of distress. The above-mentioned official, being moved by pity for him, once asked: ‘What is ailing thee, O king?’ He answered: ‘I repent of my crimes, but I know not whether my penitence is accepted or not. If thou knowest one learned man who has been left alive in the realm, lead me to him, that we may inquire from him concerning the truth of the case.’ The official replied: ‘Thy case is like that of the king who arrived in his travels at a village where a cock was crowing at an improper time. The potentate became angry, and issued orders to kill all the cocks in that village, which were duly executed. At bedtime the king said: “Awaken me when the cock crows, that we may depart from this place.” One of the courtiers, however, said: “O king! this is impossible, because in thy wrath thou hast not left one single cock alive, that we might awaken thee by his crowing.”’ The anxiety of Tâlut increased at these words, and after he had made a solemn promise to the official that he would hereafter not commit any such deeds, the latter informed him that the woman whom he had formerly ordered to be killed was yet alive. Tâlut then met her and asked her whether his repentance had been accepted or rejected? The old woman replied: ‘I do not know; we will, however, go to the tomb of Shamuil, and may possibly obtain a reply there concerning this important matter.’ Accordingly Tâlut went with the old woman and the official to the sepulchre of Shamuil, where she offered her prayers, and, craving intercession through the ineffable name, said: ‘O tenant of this grave, come forth from it by the permission of the Most High!’ Shamuil then arose from the sepulchre, shook off the dust from his head, face, and body, manifested his astonishment on beholding these three persons, and asked: ‘Has perchance the day of the resurrection dawned?’ They replied: ‘No. But Tâlut has a great matter in hand, by which he is greatly troubled. He desires to inquire from thee whether his repentance is accepted or not.’⁶⁹ Shamuil asked: ‘O Tâlut, what hast thou committed after my decease?’ He replied: ‘O prophet of Allah! there is no blameworthy act which I have not committed.’ Then he narrated all he had done. Shamuil asked: ‘How many sons hast thou?’ He replied: ‘I have ten brave and valiant children. Shamuil continued: ‘Thy penitence will be accepted if thou consentest to abdicate royalty, to abandon the government, and to engage in a religious war, together with thy sons, until they are killed before thee, and thou quaffest the unsavoury beverage of their calamity. After that thou must fight until thou likewise attainest the dignity of martyrdom.⁷⁰ If thou doest all I have told thee, it is possible that the Lord Most High will pardon thee, and will have mercy on thee.’ Uttering these words, Shamuil returned to his grave and to his former condition. Tâlut went home, and his grief was augmented by the thought that his sons would not comply with his wishes. He reposed on the couch of weakness and inability until he one day asked his sons the following question: ‘If your father is taken to hell, will any one of you offer himself as a ransom for him?’ They replied: ‘We are ready to sacrifice our lives for thee; but tell us the reason of thy question.’ Tâlut then informed them of his repentance, and of the advice of Shamuil. The sons replied: ‘Thou wilt perish.’ He said: ‘It is so.’ They continued: ‘After thee we do not wish to live, and we are prepared most willingly to do anything thou mayest command.’ Tâlut was rejoiced at the readiness of his children to obey him; therefore he ordered the doors of his treasuries to be opened, and all the materials of war to be procured. He then started on a warlike expedition, in which his sons were one by one made to taste the draught of martyrdom. At last Tâlut himself attacked the centre of the enemy’s forces, and was likewise slain. After him the government devolved upon Dâud—u. w. b., etc.—for obeying whom the high and the low girded their loins of submission.

RECORD OF DÂUD’S [DAVID’S]—U. W. B., ETC.—
MESSENGERSHIP AND SUCCESSORSHIP.⁷¹

When, after the days of Shamuil and Tâlut, the robe of prophecy and the tunic of royalty had begun to fit the person of Dâud—u. w. b., etc.—his position and dignity became so exalted that, according to one tradition, his body-guard consisted of four thousand men. His lordship united the supreme ecclesiastical and secular dignity in his own person, although before his time the prophet belonged to one, and the judge to another tribe. The Most High has said: ‘O Dâud, verily we have appointed thee a sovereign prince upon the earth; judge therefore between men with truth.’⁷² When he became the absolute successor [Khalifah] the Lord Most High sent down to him the Psalms, which contained exhortations and commands. The voice of Dâud was so pleasing, that whoever heard it became enamoured therewith, and seventy-two different notes are said to have issued from his blessed larynx. Wuhub Bin Muniah states that whenever he was engaged in reading the Psalms the wild beasts, birds, and rapacious animals gathered around him, and would not injure each other. It is related that when men and genii obeyed Dâud, and were delighted to listen to his voice, the flame of envy blazed up in the oven of the mind of Eblis, who became disquieted, assembled the Satans, and asked: ‘By what stratagem can the possession of the hearts of mankind be taken away from Dâud, and by what means can the intercourse of human beings with him be diminished?’ They all replied: ‘In this matter thou art more knowing than we.’ Satan said: ‘We must try to invent a voice resembling his [musical] notes!’ After they had agreed on this point, Eblis commenced to manufacture harps, psalteries, and all sorts of musical instruments, upon which his followers played, and thereby decoyed men from the straight path, precipitating them into the valley of perdition. Wuhub also states that the prophet Dâud— u. w. b., etc.—was extremely devout, wept much, comforted the weak, the poor, orphans, and widows. He walked about mostly dressed in woollen garments, meditating, and roaming through the city and the public places, asking the people [incognito] how they were treated by Dâud, and whether they were contented with him or not; he also made inquiries among the inhabitants concerning his laudable and blameworthy qualities. One day he met an angel in the guise of a traveller, and questioned him according to his usual way concerning himself. The angel replied: ‘Dâud would be one of the best of men if he had not one peculiarity.’ The prophet asked: ‘What is it?’ The angel replied: ‘He subsists on the public treasury, and draws all his personal expenses therefrom.’ Dâud, having thus been admonished, now implored the Lord of Magnificence to exalt him by teaching him a trade for the support of himself and of his family; whereon Dâud was by a revelation of grace instructed in the craft of weaving cuirasses. The most glorious of speakers has said: ‘And we taught him the art of making coats of mail for you.’⁷³ Some learned men have asserted that Dâud did not make coats of mail to gain the approbation of the world, or for monetary purposes, because prophets are exempted from similar attributes, but that this was one of his miracles, as the iron became soft in his blessed hands like wax. He fabricated shirts of mail, but used no hammer, anvil, or other tools, and his object was to disburse in alms any sums he gained in this way, after he had satisfied his personal wants. Tradition informs us that when Dâud was engaged in praising and magnifying God, the mountains, the animals, the sea, and the land, united with him in doing so. It is said that he divided his time into four parts, as follows: One day he spent with scholars and learned men, occupying himself with learning and study. One day he sat in the judgment seat, and judged the people righteously. One day he was engaged in devotions and supplications to the Creator of the inhabitants of this world. And the fourth day he spent with his wives and family. [Nothing is said of the three remaining days of the week.]

It is related that one day he implored the Palace of Monotheism in the following words: ‘O Lord, how shall I live under Thy dominion so as to please Thee?’ Then the allocution came: ‘Thou must remember Me much; for whoever loves Me, I love him. Thou must so govern the people of the world, and so watch thy passions, as to abstain from approaching thy absent brother’s bed.’⁷⁴

Histories inform us that the Absolute Sovereign presented Dâud with a chain, one end of which was fixed [in the sky] to the path usually called the Milky Way, and the other near the oratory of his lordship, so that the people could touch it with their hands. This chain was of iron, and bright like fire. Whenever a misfortune was sent from heaven, the chain moved, a voice issuing from it reached Dâud—u. w. b., etc.—and informed him of the event. Every sick man who touched this chain with his hand was delivered of his malady. After his lordship’s departure to the mansion of eternity, the children of Esrâil fixed the chain, and decided judicial cases by means of it. When an innocent person wished to touch the chain it remained in its place, so that it might be grasped, but when an oppressor or liar endeavoured to do so, it eluded his attempts to take hold of it, and moved upwards. The Jews had recourse to it for a long time, until a?? man made use of a stratagem [to obtain judgment in his favour], when the chain was taken up [and disappeared for ever]. This happened as follows: One of the grandees of the children of Esrâil had entrusted a jewel of great price to the keeping of a man; the latter, however, denied afterwards that he had it in his possession when the owner wished to recover it. The possessor of the jewel desired to bring this matter before the chain, but the other man asked for some respite; he agreed, however, to the proposal after he had concealed the gem in a hollow staff. On the appointed day both the accuser and the accused made their appearance, with the chiefs of the tribe, in the vicinity of the chain. The claimant stretched forth his hand and grasped the chain, whereby he became convinced that his demand was well founded. Then the defendant handed the above-mentioned staff to the accuser and said: ‘Pray hold it for a moment, that I may likewise take hold of the chain.’ The owner of the jewel took the cane, while the rogue turned his face towards heaven and said: ‘O Lord, Thou knowest that I have restored to my accuser what he has entrusted me with. I am, therefore, now innocent of the imputation. Allow me to touch the chain.’ Uttering these words, he grasped the chain, whereat the people were highly astonished, because at that time no one knew the cause. The deceiver then again took possession of his staff, and defrauded the owner of the precious jewel by this stratagem; but when the Jews got up from their sleep the next morning they found that the chain had disappeared.

Some commentators have said that the blessed verse, ‘And We established his kingdom, and gave him wisdom and eloquence of speech,’⁷⁵ confirms the fact that the pomp of his lordship had attained such a degree that, when he spent the night near the altar of the Benign Sovereign, one thousand body-guards were watching; and their awe of him was such that they dared not to utter a single word contrary to the law or wisdom. Some say that his royalty was confirmed on the occasion when a man brought one of the nobles of the children of Esrâil, and accused him of having taken his cow by force. The accused man denied the fact, and as the accuser was unable to produce witnesses in his favour, Dâud said to them: Depart ye both, until I consider this matter.’ That very night Dâud heard in a dream the words: ‘The accuser is right, and the accused deserves capital punishment; kill him.’ When Dâud awoke, he said to himself: ‘How can I kill a man merely on account of a dream?’ But after he had for three successive nights heard the same voice, he called the accused man and said: ‘I shall kill thee.’ The individual was distressed, and replied: ‘According to what law is it permitted to kill a Musalmân without a proof of his guilt?’ Dâud continued: ‘I have been ordered by the Mighty Avenger to do it.’ When this man saw that Dâud was determined to take his life, he said: ‘O prophet of Allah, I have not become worthy of this chastisement on account of forcibly taking the cow, but because I have formerly killed the father of the owner of the cow without a just cause.’ After his lordship the prophet had despatched the spirit of that individual of high dignity to its original centre [i.e., after he had killed him] great fear overawed the people, and no one dared to oppose him in anything. The word ‘wisdom’ in the last-quoted verse points to his prophetic dignity, but concerning the expression ‘eloquence of speech’ there are many opinions, three of which may here be adduced: 1. That it means judicial commands. 2. That it implies science and philosophy and discernment in judgments. 3. A’li, the son of Abu Tâleb—may Allah ennoble his countenance—has said that ‘eloquence of speech’ means the establishment of the claim of the accuser, and the administration of an oath to the defendant, because judgment depends upon these two matters. Allah, however, knows best!