The Dabistán, or School of manners, Volume 3 (of 3): translated from the original Persian, with notes and illustrations — John Shaqi
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
The Almighty God bestowed upon Musaylima the favor of another
necessary and venerable book, entitled “the second Fárúk” to the
commands of which it is indispensable to conform our actions. What
Muhammed had revealed is all truth, and Musaylima, too, chose his way
in that direction; if some precepts of the latter and his celestial
book are contrary to the statements of Muhammed, it is because
Musaylima survived Muhammed[5] (upon whom be peace!), and cancelled
some of them by the command of God, as in like manner, during
Mohammed’s life, some of his precepts have been obliterated. The man
quoted from the heavenly book of Musaylima the following words: “Adopt
the belief (O men!) that our God is the God of the world, and know,
that he is the Creator of the universe and of its inhabitants; that he
is above the creatures, none of whom is like him; say not, that he has
no body; for it may be that he has a body, although not one like a
body of his creatures: hand, eye, and ear of God are mentioned in the
Furkán[6] which came from Muhammed; and what is stated in the first
Fárúk, which is the book of Musaylima, is all truth; but the hand, the
eye, and the ear of God are not like the hand and foot, and eye and
ear of the creatures. Thus faith is required for an intercourse with
God, and contemplation of the Creator; yet, whatever was found
existing can be seen, but the vision of the eye, and the want of it,
ought not to be taken in a confined sense, as faith is to be
entertained that God shows himself to his servants in whatever manner
he wills.” The man further proceeded to say: “Avoid discussions about
antiquity, tradition, and duration, and the evanescence or destruction
of the world, because the world is the creation of God, and as to the
last judgment and resurrection after death, attach your faith to them,
and be confident that you shall be raised to life, and in that fix
your thoughts, that it will be with the same or another body, in this
or in another house, to heaven or to hell, to beatitude and repose, to
recompense or punishment; attach your faith to this, and avoid diving
too deep into it, whether it will be in this or in another habitation;
believe in the angels of God, but say not that they have wings and
feathers, or that, although this form be not essential to them, they
nevertheless show themselves in this form, and know that good and bad,
fine and ugly, are existing; but do not say, that this is good and
that bad; for that which you call bad may be good, and inversely: but
whatever is commanded, that do.” The man proceeded to say: “In the
time of Muhammed no Kiblah was fixed: men turned their faces sometimes
towards Jerusalem, sometimes towards the Kâbah of _Mecca_, and
sometimes towards any other place. After Muhammed, his companions
established by force that Kâbah should be the Kiblah. After Muhammed
it was ordered by Musaylima, that turning the face towards the great
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