Should We wish to impart unto thee a glimmer of the mysteries of Ḥusayn’s
martyrdom, and reveal unto thee the fruits thereof, these pages could
never suffice, nor exhaust their meaning. Our hope is that, God willing,
the breeze of mercy may blow, and the divine Springtime clothe the tree of
being with the robe of a new life; so that we may discover the mysteries
of divine Wisdom, and, through His providence, be made independent of the
knowledge of all things. We have, as yet, descried none but a handful of
souls, destitute of all renown, who have attained unto this station. Let
the future disclose what the Judgment of God will ordain, and the
Tabernacle of His decree reveal. In such wise We recount unto thee the
wonders of the Cause of God, and pour out into thine ears the strains of
heavenly melody, that haply thou mayest attain unto the station of true
knowledge, and partake of the fruit thereof. Therefore, know thou of a
certainty that these Luminaries of heavenly majesty, though their dwelling
be in the dust, yet their true habitation is the seat of glory in the
realms above. Though bereft of all earthly possessions, yet they soar in
the realms of immeasurable riches. And whilst sore tried in the grip of
the enemy, they are seated on the right hand of power and celestial
dominion. Amidst the darkness of their abasement there shineth upon them
the light of unfading glory, and upon their helplessness are showered the
tokens of an invincible sovereignty.
Thus Jesus, Son of Mary, whilst seated one day and speaking in the strain
of the Holy Spirit, uttered words such as these: “O people! My food is the
grass of the field, wherewith I satisfy my hunger. My bed is the dust, my
lamp in the night the light of the moon, and my steed my own feet. Behold,
who on earth is richer than I?” By the righteousness of God! Thousands of
treasures circle round this poverty, and a myriad kingdoms of glory yearn
for such abasement! Shouldst thou attain to a drop of the ocean of the
inner meaning of these words, thou wouldst surely forsake the world and
all that is therein, and, as the Phoenix wouldst consume thyself in the
flames of the undying Fire.
In like manner, it is related that on a certain day, one of the companions
of Ṣádiq complained of his poverty before him. Whereupon, Ṣádiq, that
immortal beauty, made reply: “Verily thou art rich, and hast drunk the
draught of wealth.” That poverty-stricken soul was perplexed at the words
uttered by that luminous countenance, and said: “Where are my riches, I
who stand in need of a single coin?” Ṣádiq thereupon observed: “Dost thou
not possess our love?” He replied: “Yea, I possess it, O thou scion of the
Prophet of God!” And Ṣádiq asked him saying: “Exchangest thou this love
for one thousand dinars?” He answered: “Nay, never will I exchange it,
though the world and all that is therein be given me!” Then Ṣádiq
remarked: “How can he who possesses such a treasure be called poor?”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account