Flowers from a Persian Garden and Other PapersClouston, W. A. (William Alexander)
History
Flowers from a Persian Garden and Other Papers
Clouston, W. A. (William Alexander)
Middle Eastern literature -- History and criticism
afterwards, even to his dying day, Solomon was afraid of the prince of
devils, and could not go to sleep without having his bed surrounded by
an armed guard, as it is written in the Book of Canticles, iii, 7, 8.
[77] According to the Muslim legend, eight angels appeared
before Solomon in a vision, saying that Allah had sent
them to surrender to him power over them and the eight
winds which were at their command. The chief of the
angels then presented him with a jewel bearing the
inscription: "To Allah belong greatness and might."
Solomon had merely to raise this stone towards the
heavens and these angels would appear, to serve him.
Four other angels next appeared, lords of all creatures
living on the earth and in the waters. The angel
representing the kingdom of birds gave him a jewel on
which were inscribed the words: "All created things
praise the Lord." Then came an angel who gave him a
jewel conferring on the possessor power over earth and
sea, having inscribed on it: "Heaven and earth are
servants of Allah." Lastly, another angel appeared and
presented him with a jewel bearing these words (the
formula of the Muslim Confession of Faith): "There is no
God but _the_ God, and Muhammed is his messenger." This
jewel gave Solomon power over the spirit-world. Solomon
caused these four jewels to be set in a ring, and the
first use to which he applied its magical power was to
subdue the demons and genii.--It is perhaps hardly
necessary to remark here, with reference to the
fundamental doctrine of Islam, said to have been
engraved on the fourth jewel of Solomon's ring, that
according to the Kuran, David, Solomon, and all the
Biblical patriarchs and prophets were good Muslims, for
Muhammed did not profess to introduce a new religion,
but simply to restore the original and only true faith,
which had become corrupt.
[78] We are not told here how the demon came to part with
this safeguard of his power. The Muslim form of the
legend, as will be seen presently, is much more
consistent, and corresponds generally with another
rabbinical version, which follows the present one.
Another account informs us that the demon, having cajoled Solomon out of
possession of his magic ring, at once flung it into the sea and cast the
king 400 miles away. Solomon came to a place called Mash Kerim, where he
was made chief cook in the palace of the king of Ammon, whose daughter,
called Naama, became enamoured of him, and they eloped to a far distant
country. As Naama was one day preparing a fish for broiling, she found
Solomon's ring in its stomach, which, of course, enabled him to recover
his kingdom and to imprison the demon in a copper vessel, which he cast
into the Lake of Tiberias.[79]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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