بخش 156 - وحی آمدن از حق تعالی به موسی کی بیاموزش چیزی کی استدعا کند یا بعضی از آن

God said, “Do thou grant his need: let him have a free hand to choose (good or evil).”

Choice (free-will) is the salt of devotion; otherwise (there would be no merit): this celestial sphere revolves involuntarily;

(Hence) its revolution has neither reward nor punishment, for free-will is (accounted) a merit at the time of the Reckoning.

All created beings indeed are glorifiers (of God), (but) that compulsory glorification is not wage- earning.

“Put a sword in his hand, pull him away from weakness (incapacity to choose), so that he may become (either) a holy warrior or a brigand,

Because We have honoured Man by (the gift of) free-will: half (of him) is honeybee, half is snake.”

The true believers are a store of honey, like the bee; the infidels, in sooth, are a store of poison, like the snake,

Because the true believer ate choice herbs, so that, like a bee, his spittle became (a means of giving) life;

(While), again, the infidel drank sherbet of filthy water: accordingly from his nourishment poison appeared in him.

Those inspired by God are the fountain of life; those allured by the enticements of sensuality are the poison of death.

In the world this praise and “well done!” and “bravo!” are (bestowed) in virtue of free-will and watchful attention.

All profligates, when they are in prison, become devout and ascetic and invokers of God.

When the power (to act freely) is gone, the work becomes unsaleable (worthless). Take heed lest Doom seize the capital (which thou hast).

The power (of free action) is thy profit-earning capital. Hark, watch over the moment of power and observe (it well)!

Man rides on the steed of “We have honoured (the sons of Adam)”: the reins of free- will are in the hand of his intelligence.

Once more did Moses admonish him kindly, saying, “The thing thou desirest will make thy face pale.

Abandon this vain passion and be afraid of God: the Devil has schooled thee for the purpose of deception.”