How Khalíl (Abraham) answered Gabriel, on both of whom be peace, when he asked him, “Have you any need?”—“As regards need of you, no!”
“I am the
Khalíl (Abraham) of the present time, and he is the
Gabriel: I do not want him as a
guide (to deliver me) in calamity.
2975. He did
not learn respectfulness (as he might)
from noble Gabriel, who
asked the Friend of
God (Abraham) what was his wish,
Saying, ‘Have
you a wish?—that I may help (thee to obtain it);
otherwise, I will flee
and make a speedy departure.’
Abraham said, ‘No; begone out of the
way! After direct vision
the intermediary is (only)
an
inconvenience.’
On account of
this present life
the
(Divine) messenger is a link for the true
believers, because
he is the intermediary (between them and God).
If every heart
were hearing the hidden
(Divine) revelation,
how should there be in
the
world any
words and sounds (to make it known)?
2980. Though he (the intercessor) is lost in God and headless
(devoid of self existence),
yet my case is
more delicate than that.
His act is the act of the
king, but to my infirmity the good (which
he did)
appears to be evil.”
That which is the very
essence of grace
to the vulgar becomes
wrath to the noble
favourites (of
God).
Much tribulation and
pain must the vulgar endure
in order that
they may be able
to
perceive the difference;
For, O (my) companion
in the Cave, these intermediary words are, in the sight of one united
(with God), thorns, thorns, thorns.
2985. Much tribulation and pain
and waiting were needed in
order that
that pure spirit
might be delivered from the (intermediary)
words;
But some
(persons) have
become more deaf
(than others) to this
echo; some, again, have become purified and have mounted higher.
This tribulation is like
the water of the Nile: it is water
to the blessed and blood
to the damned.
The more one descries the
end, the more blessed is he: the
greater one sees the
crop (to be), the
more zealously he sows,
Because he knows that this world of
sowing is for the sake
of the (Last) Congregation and (for the
sake of) gathering in (the harvest).
2990. No contract
(of sale) was
(ever made) for
the sake of itself;
nay, but for
the sake of
(being in) the position of (making) gain and
profit.
There is no disbeliever, if you look (carefully), whose disbelief is for the sake
of the disbelief itself;
Nay, but (it is)
for the purpose of
subduing his
adversary in envy (of
him), or seeking superiority and self-display.
And that superiority
too is for the sake of some
other desire: the
forms give no
relish without
the essential meanings.
You ask “Why art you
doing this?”
because the forms
are (as) the
oil, and the essential
meaning
is (as) the light.
2995. Otherwise, wherefore is this saying “why”?—since
(hypothetically) the
form is for
the sake of the form
itself.
This saying
“why” is a question
concerning the use
(reason): it is bad to say “why”
for any cause but this.
Wherefore, O trusty one, should you desire (to know) the use (reason)?—since (hypothetically)
the use of this (form)
is only this (form itself).
Hence it is not (in accordance with) wisdom
that the forms of
heaven and (those
of) the people
of
the earth should be
(created) for this only.
If there is no Wise (Creator), what is (the reason of) this orderly arrangement (the cosmos)?
And if there is a Wise
(Creator), how is His action devoid (of meaning)?
3000. No one
makes pictures and
colouring in a
bath-house except for
(some) purpose
(either) right or wrong.
No comments:
Post a Comment