The Dabistán, or School of manners, Volume 3 (of 3): translated from the original Persian, with notes and illustrations
Religion
The Dabistán, or School of manners, Volume 3 (of 3): translated from the original Persian, with notes and illustrations
Iran -- Religion; Religions
He further said: “If I agree to their prophetic mission, whence was it
shown that this people were prophets? for, if pursuant to their claim
to prophetic office and legislation, we adopt what at every time is
held out as legal, why are their fundamental articles of faith in
contradiction to each other with respect to the knowledge of the
self-existent Being? Thus, in the Pentateuch of the Jews, God has a
body, and corporeity; and the Christians believe Jesus a son of God,
and the Muhammedans according to the Koran believe God to be without
an equal, and not to be described. If God be similar to what he is
represented in all these books, he is not unlike a man who does not
know himself, and at each time gives an account of himself, which he
varies, and of which he repents. If they say, the real sense is the
same, the figurative expression and interpretation only change, it is
not less evident, that the books and the prophets have been sent for
the purpose of leading men to God, and not to instigate them to rebel;
or, after having proclaimed his word, to combat each other by
controversy. He commands the sacrifice of their blood and property for
the common good. And if they say, the servants cannot disagree about
the knowledge of God, why then is it written in the books that they
must know him in that, and in no other way? and why do we perceive
such a contradiction in the deeds, and frequently in the words, of the
celebrated prophets? The intelligent man can no longer recognise them
by their noble actions.
Somebody said to the Hakím Kámrán: “Give me in substance the belief of
the Sonnites and the Shíâhs.” He replied: “The creed of the Sonnites
is, after the praise of God the most high, and the attributes of the
prophet, blessing and mercy of God upon all transgressors and sinners,
men, and women; and the creed of the Shíâhs is after the praise of
God, and the attributes of the prophet, the curse of God upon all
believers, men and women; and Muselmans, men and women.” And he had
much to say about this subject.
_Abu ’l Hassan Taheraní_, surnamed _Isfahán_, son of _Gháib báig_,
surnamed _Iâtimad eddoulah_, became a follower of Kámrán, by the
persuasion of the friends of the latter, as the author of this book
perceived in a letter, written by _Rafiâ ’l Kader_ to Hakím Kámrán, in
which the former declared himself the disciple of Kámrán, whom he
called his master, and addressed in a suitable style. Thus was also
Zemán Baig born, in Arghún, his father, a native of Kabul, was
surnamed Mahábet Khán, who, by his gravity, bravery, and wisdom,
acquired a high rank among the Omras of the Indian Sultans. He was in
a friendly connection with Kámrán, and in the letters which the mighty
khan wrote to Hakím Kámrán, he showed him great respect, and professed
himself his disciple. It is said that, at a banquet, Mahábet Khan
declared the saying of the prophetic asylum――
“I was a prophet, and Adam in water and mud――”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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