The Kashf al-mahjúb: The oldest Persian treatise on SúfiismHujviri, ‘Ali ibn ‘Usman
Islamic
The Kashf al-mahjúb: The oldest Persian treatise on Súfiism
Hujviri, ‘Ali ibn ‘Usman
Sufism -- Early works to 1800
On the other hand, Junayd and Abu ´l-`Abbás Sayyárí and Abú Bakr Wásiṭí
and Muḥammad b. `Alí of Tirmidh, the author of the doctrine, hold that
miracles are manifested in the state of sobriety and composure (_ṣaḥw ú
tamkín_), not in the state of intoxication. They argue that the saints
of God are the governors of His kingdom and the overseers of the
universe, which God has committed absolutely to their charge: therefore
their judgments must be the soundest of all, and their hearts must be
the most tenderly disposed of all towards the creatures of God. They are
mature (_rasídagán_); and whereas agitation and intoxication are marks
of inexperience, with maturity agitation is transmuted into composure.
Then, and only then, is one a saint in reality, and only then are
miracles genuine. It is well known among Ṣúfís that every night the
_Awtád_ must go round the whole universe, and if there should be any
place on which their eyes have not fallen, next day some imperfection
will appear in that place; and they must then inform the _Quṭb_, in
order that he may fix his attention on the weak spot, and that by his
blessing the imperfection may be removed. As regards the assertion that
gold and earth are one to the saint, this indifference is a sign of
intoxication and failure to see truly. More excellent is the man of true
sight and sound perception, to whom gold is gold and earth is earth, but
who recognizes the evil of the former and says: “O yellow ore! O white
ore! beguile some one else, for I am aware of your corruptedness.” He
who sees the corruptedness of gold and silver perceives them to be a
veil (between himself and God), and God will reward him for having
renounced them. Contrariwise, he to whom gold is even as earth is not
made perfect by renouncing earth. Ḥáritha, being intoxicated, declared
that stones and gold were alike to him, but Abú Bakr, being sober,
perceived the evil of laying hands on worldly wealth, and knew that God
would reward him for rejecting it. Therefore he renounced it, and when
the Apostle asked him what he had left for his family he answered, “God
and His Apostle.” And the following story is related by Abú Bakr Warráq
of Tirmidh: “One day Muḥammad b. `Alí (al-Ḥakím) said that he would take
me somewhere. I replied: ‘It is for the Shaykh to command.’ Soon after
we set out I saw an exceedingly dreadful wilderness, and in the midst
thereof a golden throne placed under a green tree beside a fountain of
running water. Seated on the throne was a person clad in beautiful
raiment, who rose when Muḥammad b. `Alí approached, and bade him sit on
the throne. After a while, people came from every side until forty were
gathered together. Then Muḥammad b. `Alí waved his hand, and immediately
food appeared from heaven, and we ate. Afterwards Muḥammad b. `Alí asked
a question of a man who was present, and he in reply made a long
discourse of which I did not understand a single word. At last the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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