Legends of the Patriarchs and Prophets: And Other Old Testament Characters from Various SourcesBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Religion
Legends of the Patriarchs and Prophets: And Other Old Testament Characters from Various Sources
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Bible. Old Testament -- Legends
According to the Mussulman tradition, Adam’s beard grew after he had
fallen, and it was the result of his excessive grief and penitence:
how this affected his chin is not explained, the fact only is thus
boldly stated. He was sorely abashed at his beard, but a voice from
heaven called to him, saying, “The beard is man’s ornament on earth; it
distinguishes him from the feeble woman.” Adam shed so many tears that
all birds and beasts drank of them, and flowing into the earth they
produced the fragrant plants and gum-bearing trees, for they were still
endued with the strength and virtue of the food of Paradise.
But the tears of Eve were transformed into pearls where they dribbled
into the sea, and into beautiful flowers where they sank into the soil.
Both wailed so loud that Eve’s cry reached Adam on the West wind, and
Adam’s cry was borne to Eve on the wings of the East wind. And when
Eve heard the well-known voice she clasped her hands above her head,
and women to this day thus testify their sorrow; and Adam, when the
voice of the weeping of Eve sounded in his ears, put his right hand
beneath his beard,--thus do men to this day give evidence of their
mourning. And the tears pouring out of Adam’s eyes formed the two
rivers Tigris and Euphrates. All nature wept with him; every bird and
beast hastened to him to mingle their tears with his, but the locust
was the first to arrive, for it was made of the superfluous earth which
had been gathered for the creation of Adam. There are seven thousand
kinds of locusts or grasshoppers, of all colors and sizes, up to the
dimensions of an eagle; and they have a king to whom God addresses
His commands when He would punish a rebellious nation such as that of
Egypt. The black character imprinted on the locust’s wing is Hebrew,
and it signifies, “God is One; He overcometh the mighty; the locusts
are a portion of His army which He sends against the wicked.” As all
nature thus wailed and lamented, from the invisible insect to the angel
who upholds the world, God sent Gabriel with the words which were in
after-time to save Jonah in the whale’s belly, “There is no God but
Thou; pardon me for Mohammed’s sake, that great and last prophet, whose
name is engraved on Thy throne.”
When Adam had uttered these words with penitent heart, the gates of
heaven opened, and Gabriel cried out, “God has accepted thy penitence,
Adam! pray to him alone, He will give thee what thou desirest, even the
return to Paradise, after a certain time.”
Adam prayed, “Lord, protect me from the further malice of my enemy
Eblis.”
“Speak the word, There is no God but God; that wounds him like a
poisoned arrow.”
“Lord, will not the meat and drink provided by this earth lead me into
sin?”
“Drink water, and eat only clean beasts which have been slain in the
name of Allah, and build mosques where you dwell, so will Eblis have no
power over you.”
“But if he torment me at night with evil thoughts and dreams?”
“Then rise from thy couch and pray.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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