بخش 82 - بقیهٔ حکایت نابینا و مصحف

The guest showed patience, and of a sudden the difficult case was unveiled to him all at once.

At midnight he heard the sound of (recitation of) the Qur’án; he sprang up from sleep and beheld a marvel—

That the blind man was reading correctly from the Qur’án. He became impatient and sought from him (an explanation of) that matter.

“Oh, wonderful!” he cried. “Thou with sightless eyes, how art thou reading, (how art thou) seeing the lines?

Thou hast touched that which thou art reading: thou hast laid thy hand upon the words of that (passage).

Thy finger, in motion, makes it evident that thou hast thine eye resting on the words.”

He replied, “O thou who hast been separated from the body's ignorance, dost thou feel this wonder at the work of God?

I begged of God, crying, ‘O Thou whose help is sought, I am (as) covetous of reading the Book as (I am) of life.

I do not know it by heart: at the time of reading it, bestow on my two eyes an untroubled light.

Give me back my eyes at that moment, so that I may take the Book and read it plain.’

From the Divine Presence came the cry (in response): ‘O man of (devotional) work, O thou that hast hope of Me in every grief,

Thou hast the good thought (of Me) and the fair hope that at each moment bids thee mount higher.

Whensoever thou intendest to read (the Qur’án) or wantest the lection from (different) copies,

At that moment I will restore thine eye, in order that thou mayst read, O venerable being.’

Even so He did, and whenever I open the Book to read,

That all-knowing One who never becomes forgetful of His work, that honoured Sovereign and Maker,

That incomparable King at once gives my sight back to me, like a lamp that makes an end of the (darkness of) night.”

On this account the saint has no objection (to raise against the Divine ordainment): whatsoever He (God) takes away, He sends compensation.

If He burn your vineyard, He will give you grapes; in the midst of mourning He will give you festivity.

To the handless paralytic He gives a hand, to the (person who is a) mine of grief He gives the (joyous) heart of an intoxicated one.

(The feeling denoted by the words) “We will not submit” and (the desire to raise) objection have gone from us (saints), since there is coming a great recompense for what has been lost.

Inasmuch as heat comes to me without fire, I am content if He extinguish my fire.

Inasmuch as He gives light without, any lamp—if your lamp is gone, why are you lamenting?