How the Jewish king made a fire and placed an idol beside it, saying, “Whoever bows down to this idol shall escape the fire.”
Now see what a plan this currish Jew contrived! He set up an idol beside the fire,
Saying, “He that bows down to this idol is saved, and if he bow not, he shall sit in the heart of the fire.”
Inasmuch as he did not give due punishment to this idol of self, from the idol of his self the other idol was born.
The idol of your self is the mother of (all) idols, because that (material) idol is (only) a snake, while this (spiritual) idol is a dragon.
The self is (as) iron and stone (whence fire is produced), while the (material) idol is (as) the sparks: those sparks are quieted (quenched) by water.
(But) how should the stone and iron be allayed by water? How should a man, having these twain, be secure?
The idol is the black water in a jug; the self is a fountain for the black water.
That sculptured idol is like the black torrent; the idol-making self is a fountain full of water for it.
A single piece of stone will break a hundred pitchers, but the fountain is jetting forth water incessantly.
’Tis easy to break an idol, very easy; to regard the self as easy (to subdue) is folly, folly.
O son, if you seek (to know) the form of the self, read the story of Hell with its seven gates.
Every moment (there proceeds from the self) an act of deceit, and in every one of those deceits a hundred Pharaohs are drowned together with their followers.
Flee to the God of Moses and to Moses, do not from Pharaoh's quality (rebellious insolence) spill the water of the Faith.
Lay your hand on (cleave to) the One (God) and Ahmad (Mohammed)! O brother, escape from the Bú Jahl of the body!
