At his death a professional washer was appointed to perform the last
ablution for Sheykh Hajjāj. In the execution of his office the washer
was about to touch the privities of the deceased, when the defunct
seized his hand with so strong a grip as to make him scream with pain
and fright. The friends came to rescue him, but they were unable to
release the imprisoned hand. They therefore sent word to Jelālu-’d-Dīn
of what had occurred. He came and saw, knew the reason, and whispered
into the ear of the deceased man: “The poor simpleton has been
unaware of the high station of thy sanctity. Pardon his unintentional
transgression for my sake.” Immediately the poor washer’s hand was
released; but three days afterwards he was himself washed and borne
lifeless to his grave.
12.
The Sultan had a governor of his childhood still living, the Emīr
Bedru-’d-Dīn Guhertāsh, commonly known as the Dizdār (Castellan), whom
he held in great esteem. One day, as Bahā Veled was lecturing in the
mosque, in presence of the Sultan and his court, he suddenly called
upon the Dizdār to recite any ten verses of the Qur’ān, saying he would
then expound them to the congregation. The Dizdār had been admiring
the eloquence of the preacher’s expositions. Upon this sudden call,
without the slightest hesitation and without ever having committed them
to memory, he recited the first ten verses of chapter xxiii., “The
believers have attained to prosperity,” &c., which Bahā forthwith
explained in such a manner as to draw down the plaudits of the
assembly. The Dizdār, with the Sultan’s permission, went to the foot of
the pulpit and declared himself a disciple to Bahā. “Then,” said the
preacher, “as a thank-offering for this happy event, do thou build and
endow a college where my descendants shall teach their disciples after
me.” The Dizdār did so, and richly endowed it. This is the college
where Jelālu-’d-Dīn afterwards lived. When the Dizdār died he left all
his possessions to enrich the foundation. (See chap. iii. No. 69.)
13.
The Sultan had a dream (something like one of Nebuchadnezzar’s). He
saw himself with a head of gold, a breast of silver, a belly of brass,
thighs of lead, and shanks of tin. Bahā Veled explained the dream as
follows:—“All will go well in the kingdom during thy lifetime. It will
be as silver in the days of thy son; as brass in the next generation,
when the rabble will get the upper hand. Troubles will thicken during
the next reign; and after that the kingdom of Rome will go to ruin, the
house of Seljūq will come to an end, and unknown upstarts will seize
the reins of government.”
CHAPTER II.
_Seyyid Burhānu-’d-Dīn, Sirr-Dān, el Muhaqqiq, el Huseynī, of the
posterity of Yā-Sīn_ (_Muhammed_).[9]