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یہ صفحہ صرف صنفِ مثنوی کے تحت آنے والی نظمیں دکھاتا ہے۔
How a blind man entered the house of Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, and how ‘Á’isha, may God be pleased with her, fled from the presence of the blind man, and how the Prophet, on whom be peace, asked, “Why art thou running away? He cannot see thee”; and the answer given by ‘Á’isha, may God be pleased with her, to the Prophet—God bless and save him!
How Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, made trial of ‘Á’isha, may God be pleased with her, and said, “Why art thou hiding? Do not hide, for the blind man cannot see thee,” in order that it might appear whether ‘Á’isha was acquainted with the secret thoughts of Mustafá, on whom be peace, or whether she was (merely) one who would follow his expressed wishes.
Story of the minstrel who began to sing this ode at the banquet of the Turkish Amír: “Art Thou a rose or a lily or a cypress or a man? I know not. What dost Thou desire from this bewildered one who has lost his heart? I know not”— and how the Turk shouted at him, “Tell of that which you know!”—and the minstrel's reply to the Amír.
Commentary on his (the Prophet's) saying—peace be upon him!— ‘Die before ye die.’ ‘O friend, die before thy death if thou desirest life; for by so dying Idrís became a dweller in Paradise before (the rest of) us.’]
Comparison of (the behaviour of) the heedless man who wastes his life and (only) begins to repent and ask pardon (of God) when he lies in extreme distress on his death-bed to the yearly mourning of the Shí‘ites of Aleppo at the Antioch Gate (of the city) during the ‘Áshúrá; and how a poet, who was a stranger, arrived (there) on his journey and asked what was the cause of these shrieks of mourning.
The poet's subtle discourse in criticism of the Shí‘ites of Aleppo.
Comparison of the covetous man, who does not see the all-providingness of God and the (infinite) stores of His mercy, to an ant struggling with a single grain of wheat on a great threshing-floor and showing violent agitation and trembling and dragging it hurriedly along, unconscious of the amplitude of the threshing-floor.
Story of the person who was giving the drum-call for the sahúr at the gate of a certain palace at midnight. A neighbour said to him, “Why, it is midnight, it is not (yet) dawn; and besides, there is no one in this palace: for whose sake are you drumming?”—and the minstrel's reply to him.
The Story of Bilál's crying “One! One!” in the heat of the Hijáz, from his love for Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, in the forenoons when his master, (impelled) by Jewish fanaticism, used to flog him with a thorny branch under the (blazing) sun of the Hijáz; and how at (each) blow the blood spurted from Bilál's body, and (the words) “One! One!” escaped (from his lips) involuntarily, just as sobs escape involuntarily from others stricken with grief, because he was (so) full of the passion of love (that) there was no room for any care about relieving the pain of the thorns to enter (his heart). (His case was) like (that of) Pharaoh's magicians and Jirjís and others (who are) innumerable and beyond computation.
How the Siddíq (Abú Bakr), may God be pleased with him, recalled (to his mind) what had happened to Bilál, may God be pleased with him, and his maltreatment by the Jews and his crying “One! One!” and the Jews becoming more incensed (against him); and how he told the story of the affair to Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, and consulted him as to buying him (Bilál) from the Jews.
How Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, enjoined the Siddíq, may God be pleased with him, saying, “Since thou art going to purchase Bilál, they (the Jews) will certainly raise his price by wrangling (with thee): make me thy partner in this merit, be my agent, and receive from me half the purchase-money.”
How the Jew laughed and imagined that the Siddíq had been swindled in this bargain.
How Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, reproached the Siddíq, may God be pleased with him, saying, “I enjoined thee to buy in partnership with me: why hast thou bought for thyself alone?” and his (the Siddíq's) excuse.
Story of Hilal, who was a devoted servant to God. (He was) possessed of spiritual insight and (in his religion) was not a mere imitator (of others). He had concealed himself in (the disguise of) being a slave to (God's) creatures, not from helplessness but for good reason, as Luqmán and Joseph and others (did, who were slaves) in appearance. He was a groom in the service of a certain Amír, and that Amír was a Moslem, but (spiritually) blind. “The blind man knows that he has a mother, but he cannot conceive what she is like.” If, having this knowledge, he show reverence towards his mother, it is possible that he may gain deliverance from blindness, for (the Prophet has said that) when God wills good unto a servant (of His) He opens the eyes of his heart, that He may let him see the Invisible (World) with them.
Story in exposition of the same topic.
Parable.
How this Hilál fell ill, and how his master was unaware of his being ill, because he despised him and did not recognise (his real worth); and how the heart of Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, came to know of his illness and his state (of weakness), and how the Prophet, on whom be peace, inquired after this Hilál and went to see him.
How Mustafá, on whom be peace, came into the Amír's stable to see the sick Hilál, and how he caressed Hilál, may God be pleased with him!
[Explanation of (the following Tradition), that Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, hearing that Jesus, on whom be peace, walked on the water, said, ‘If his faith had increased, he would have walked on the air.’]
Story of the old woman who used to depilate and rouge her ugly face, though it could never be put right and become pleasing.
Story of the dervish who blessed a man of Gílán, saying, “May God bring thee back in safety to thy home and household!”
[Description of the old woman.]
Story of the dervish to whom, whenever he begged anything from a certain house, he (the owner) used to say, “It is not (to be had here).”
Return to the tale of the old woman.
Story of the sick man of whose recovery the physician despaired.
Returning to the Story of the sick man.
Story of Sultan Mahmúd and the Hindú boy.
Those who have passed away do not grieve on account of death; their only regret is to have missed the opportunities (of life).
How the Cadi was incensed fry the slap of the poor (sick) man and how the Súfi taunted the Cadi.
The Cadi’s reply to the Súfi.
How the Súfi questioned the Cadi.
The Cadi’s reply to the Súfi.
How the Súfi again questioned the Cadi.
The Cadi's answer to the questions of the Súfí, and how he adduced the Story of the Turk and the Tailor as a parable.
The Prophet, on whom be peace, said, ‘Verily God teaches wisdom by the tongues of the preachers according to the measure of the aspirations of those who hear them.’
How the tailor told laughable jests, and how the narrow eyes of the Turk were closed by the violence of his laughter, and how the tailor found an opportunity (to steal).
How the tailor said to the Turk, “Hey, hold your tongue: if I tell any more funny stories the coat will be (too) tight for you.”
Explaining that the idle folk who wish (to hear) stories are like the Turk, and that the deluding and treacherous World is like the tailor, and that lusts and women are (like) this World's telling laughable jokes, and that Life resembles the piece of satin placed before this Tailor to be made into a coat of eternity and a garment of piety.
Parable.
How the Súfí repeated his questions.
The Cadi's reply to the Súfí.
A Story setting forth that patience in bearing worldly affliction is easier than patience in bearing separation from the Beloved.
Parable.
The remainder of the Story of the fakir who desired (to receive) his daily bread without (having recourse to) work as a means (of earning it).
Story of the treasure-scroll (in which it was written), “Beside a certain domed building turn your face towards the qibla (Mecca) and put an arrow to the bow and shoot: the treasure is (buried) at the spot where it falls.”
Conclusion of the Story of the fakir and (a description of) the signs indicating the position of the treasure.
How the news of this treasure became known and reached the ears of the king.
How the king despaired of finding the treasure and became weary of searching for it.