How the Prince of the Faithful made answer (and explained) what was the reason of his dropping the sword from his hand on that occasion.
He said, “I am wielding the sword for God's sake, I am the servant of God, I am not under the command of the body.
I am the Lion of God, I am not the lion of passion: my deed bears witness to my religion.
In war I am (manifesting the truth of) thou didst not throw when thou threwest: I am (but) as the sword, and the wielder is the (Divine) Sun.
I have removed the baggage of self out of the way, I have deemed (what is) other than God to be non-existence.
I am a shadow, the Sun is my lord; I am the chamberlain, I am not the curtain (which prevents approach) to Him.
I am filled with the pearls of union, like a (jewelled) sword: in battle I make (men) living, not slain.
Blood does not cover the sheen of my sword: how should the wind sweep away my clouds?
I am not a straw, I am a mountain of forbearance and patience and justice: how should the fierce wind carry off the mountain?”
That which is removed from its place by a wind is rubbish, for indeed the contrary winds are many.
The wind of anger and the wind of lust and the wind of greed swept away him that performed not the (ritual) prayers.
“I am a mountain, and my being is His building; and if I become like a straw, my wind (the wind that moves me) is His wind.
My longing is not stirred save by His wind; my captain is naught but love of the One.
Anger is king over kings, and to me it is a slave: even anger I have bound under the bridle.
The sword of my forbearance hath smitten the neck of my anger; the anger of God hath come on me like mercy.
I am plunged in light although my roof is ruined; I have become a garden although I am (styled) Bú Turáb (the father of dust).
Since (the thought of something) other than God has intervened, it behoves (me) to sheathe my sword,
That my name may be he loves for God's sake, that my desire may be he hates for God's sake,
That my generosity may be he gives for God's sake, that my being may be he withholds for God's sake.
My stinginess is for God's sake, my bounty is for God's sake alone: I belong entirely to God, I do not belong to any one (else);
And that which I am doing for God's sake is not (done in) conformity, it is not fancy and opinion, it is naught but intuition.
I have been freed from effort and search, I have tied my sleeve to the skirt of God.
If I am flying, I behold the place to which I soar; and if I am circling, I behold the axis on which I revolve;
And if I am dragging a burden, I know whither: I am the moon, and the Sun is in front of me as the guide.”
There is no means (possibility) of communicating more than this to the people: in the river there is no room for the Sea.
I speak low according to the measure of (their) understandings: ’tis no fault, this is the practice of the Prophet.
“I am free from self-interest: hear the testimony of a freeman, for the testimony of slaves is not worth two barleycorns.”
In the religious law the testimony of a slave has no value at (the time of) litigation and judgement.
(Even) if thousands of slaves bear witness on thy behalf, the law does not accept their testimony as worth a straw.
In God's sight the slave of lust is worse than menials and slaves brought into servitude,
For the latter becomes free at a single word from his master, while the former lives sweet but dies sour and bitter.
The slave of lust hath no (means of) release at all except through the grace of God and His special favour.
He has fallen into a pit that has no bottom, and that is his (own) sin: it is not (Divine) compulsion and injustice.
He has cast himself into such a pit that I find no rope capable of (reaching) its bottom.
I will make an end. If this discourse go further, not only hearts but rocks will bleed.
(If) these hearts have not bled, ’tis not because of (their) hardness, ’tis (because of) perplexity and preoccupation and ill- fatedness.
They will bleed one day when blood is no use to them: do thou bleed at a time when (thy) blood is not rejected.
Inasmuch as the testimony of slaves is not accepted, the approved witness is he that is not the slave of the ghoul (of sensuality).
(The words) We have sent thee as a witness came in the Warning (the Qur’án), because he (the Prophet) was entirely free from (creaturely) existence.
“Since I am free, how should anger bind me? Nothing is here but Divine qualities. Come in!
Come in, for the grace of God hath made thee free, because His mercy had the precedence over His wrath.
Come in now, for thou hast escaped from the peril: thou wert a (common) stone, the Elixir hath made thee a jewel.
Thou hast been delivered from unbelief and its thorn-thicket: blossom like a rose in the cypress-garden of Hú (God).
Thou art I and I am thou, O illustrious one: thou wert ‘Alí— how should I kill ‘Alí?
Thou hast committed a sin better than any act of piety, thou hast traversed Heaven in a single moment.”
Very fortunate (was) the sin which the man committed: do not rose-leaves spring from a thorn?
Was not the sin of ‘Umar and his attempt on (the life of) the Prophet leading him to the gate of acceptance?
Was not Pharaoh because of the magic of the magicians drawing them (to himself), and did not (spiritual) fortune come to their aid?
Had it not been for their magic and denial (of Moses), who would have brought them to rebellious Pharaoh?
How would they have seen the rod and the miracles? Disobedience (to God) became obedience, O disobedient people.
God hath smitten the neck of despair, inasmuch as sin and disobedience have become obedience.
Since He changes evil acts (into good), He makes it (the disobedience) an act of obedience in despite of slanderers (devils).
By this (mercy of God) the stoned (accursed) Devil is driven away and bursts with envy and is cloven asunder.
He strives to foster a sin (in us) and by means of that sin bring us into a pit;
When he sees that the sin has become an act of obedience (to God), there comes round for him an unblest hour.
“Come in! I open the door to thee. Thou spattest (on me) and I give thee a present.
Such things I am giving to the doer of iniquity: (thou seest) in what fashion I lay my head before the left foot.
What then do I bestow on the doer of righteousness? Know thou, (I bestow) treasures and kingdoms everlasting.
