How the ambassador of Rúm questioned the Commander of the Faithful, may God be well-pleased with him.
The man said to him, “O Commander of the Faithful, how did the spirit come to the earth from above?
How did the infinite bird go into the cage?” He replied, “God recited spells and incantations over the spirit.
When He recites spells over the non-existences which have no eye or ear, they begin to stir.
Because of His spells the non-existences at that very moment are dancing joyously into existence.
When, again, He recited a spell over the existent, at His word the existent marched (back) post-haste into non- existence.
He spake into the ear of the rose and made it laughing (blooming); He spake to the stone and made it a cornelian of the mine.
He spake to the body a sign (message), so that it became spirit; He spake to the sun, so that it became radiant.
Again He puts into its ear a fearful saying, and upon the face of the sun fall a hundred eclipses.
Consider what that Speaker chanted into the ear of the cloud, so that it poured tears from its eye, like a waterskin.
Consider what God has chanted into the ear of the earth, so that it became regardful and has (ever since) remained silent.”
Whosoever in perplexity is sorely troubled, God has spoken the riddle into his ear,
That He may imprison him in two (doubtful) thoughts, (namely), “Shall I do what He told (me) or the contrary thereof?”
From (the decree of) God also, one side obtains the preponderance, and from that (Divine) quarter he chooses one of the two (alternatives).
If thou wouldst not have the mind of thy spirit in (a state of) perplexity, do not stuff this cotton-wool into thy spiritual ear,
So that thou mayst understand those riddles of His, so that thou mayst apprehend (both) the secret sign and the open.
Then the spiritual ear becomes the place where wahy (inspiration) descends. What is wahy? A speech hidden from sense- perception.
The spiritual ear and eye are other than this sense-perception, the ear of (discursive) reason and the ear of opinion are destitute of this (inspiration).
The word “compulsion” (jabr) made me impatient (uncontrollable) for love's sake, while it confined in (the prison of) compulsion him who is not a lover.
This is union with God, and it is not compulsion: this is the shining forth of the moon, this is not a cloud.
And if this be compulsion, it is not the compulsion of (suffered by) the vulgar: it is not the compulsion of (exerted by) the evil-commanding self-willed (soul).
O son, (only) they know (the real meaning of) compulsion in whose hearts God has opened the sight (of the spiritual eye).
To them the unseen things of the future became manifest; to them recollection of the past became naught.
Their freewill and compulsion is different (from that of ordinary men): in oyster-shells drops (of rain) are pearls.
Outside (of the shell) it is a drop of water, small or great, (but) within the shell it is a small or big pearl.
Those persons have the nature of the muskdeer's gland: externally they are (as) blood, while within them is the fragrance of musk.
Do not say, “This substance externally is blood: how should it become a musky perfume when it goes into the gland?”
Do not say, “This copper externally was despicable: how should it assume nobility in the heart (midst) of the elixir?”
In thee (the matter of) freewill and compulsion was a (mere) fancy, (but) when it went into them it became the light of (Divine) Majesty.
When bread is (wrapped) in the tablecloth it is the inanimate thing (so-called), (but) in the human body it becomes the glad spirit (of life).
It does not become transmuted in the heart of (within) the table-cloth: the (animal) soul transmutes it with (the water of) Salsabíl.
O thou who readest aright, such is the power of the soul: what, then, must be the power of that Soul of soul?
The piece of flesh which is Man, endowed with intelligence and soul, cleaves mountain and sea and mine.
The strength of the mountain-riving soul is (shown in) the splitting of rocks; the strength of the Soul of soul in the moon was split asunder.
If the heart should open the lid of the wallet of (this) mystery, the soul would rush (in rapture) towards the highest heaven.
