1448- If an ant has sought (to attain) the rank of Solomon, do not look languidly (contemptuously) on its quest.

Story of the person who in the time of David, on whom be peace, used to pray night and day, crying, “Give me a lawful livelihood without trouble (on my part).”

1450- In the time of the prophet David a certain man, beside every sage and before every simpleton,

1451- Used always to utter this prayer: “O God, bestow on me riches without trouble!

1452- Since Thou hast created me a lazybones, a receiver of blows, a slow mover, a sluggard,

1454- Inasmuch as Thou, O perfect One, hast created me lazy, do Thou accordingly give me the daily bread by the way of laziness.

1455- I am lazy and sleeping in the shade in (the world of) existence: I sleep in the shade of this Bounty and Munificence.

1457- Every one that has a foot (power to move) seeks a livelihood: do Thou show some pity towards every one that has no foot.

1460- Since the babe has no foot (means of seeking nutriment), its mother comes and pours the ration (of milk) upon it.

1461- I crave a daily portion (that is bestowed) suddenly without fatigue (on my part), for I have naught of endeavour except the seeking.”

1462- Thus was he praying for a long time, (all) day until night and all night until morning.

1463- The people were laughing at his words, at the folly of his hope, and at his contention,

Saying, “Marvellous! What is he saying—this idiot? Or has some one given him beng(that is the cause) of senselessness?

1465- The way of (getting) daily bread is work and trouble and fatigue; He (God) hath given every one a handicraft and (the capacity for) seeking (a livelihood):

1466- ‘Seek ye your daily portions in the means thereof: "Enter your dwellings by their doors."

How a cow ran into the house of him that was praying importunately. The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, has said, “God loves them that are importunate in prayer,” because the actual asking (of anything) from God most High and the importunity (itself) is better for the petitioner than the thing which he is asking of Him.

1485- Until suddenly one day, (when) he was uttering this prayer with moaning and sighs at morningtide,

1486- Suddenly a cow ran into his house; she butted with her horns and broke the bolt and key.

1487- The cow boldly jumped into the house; the man sprang forward and bound her legs.

1488- Then he at once cut the throat of the cow without pause, without consideration, and without mercy.

Explaining further the story of him who in the time of David, on whom be peace, sought to receive (from God) lawful means of livelihood without working or taking trouble, and how his prayer was answered favourably.

2306- The story has come into my mind how that poor man used to moan and lament day and night,

2307- And beg of God a lawful means of livelihood without pursuit and trouble and work and movement (from one place to another)

2310- The owner of the cow espied him and said “Hey, O you to whose unrighteousness my cow has fallen a prey,

2311- Hey, tell (me) why did you kill my cow? Fool! Cutpurse! Deal fairly (with me).”

2312- He said, “I was begging God for daily bread and preparing a qibla (for myself) of supplication.

2313- That ancient prayer of mine was answered (by God). She (the cow) was my portion of daily bread: I killed her. Behold the answer (to your question)!”

How David, on whom be peace, heard what both the litigants had to say, and interrogated the defendant

2376- When the prophet David came forth, he said, “Hey, what is this about? What is it?”

2377- The plaintiff said, “O prophet of God, (give me) justice! My cow strayed into his house.

2378- He killed my cow. Ask him why he killed my cow, and (bid him) explain what happened.”

2379- David said to him (the poor man), “Speak, O noble one! How did you destroy the property of this honourable person?

2380- Take care! Do not talk incoherently, (but) bring forward (your) plea, in order that this claim and cause may be (settled and) laid aside.”

2381- He said, “O David, for seven years I was (engaged) day and night in invocation and entreaty.

2382- This (is what) I was seeking from God: ‘O God, (I said), I want a means of livelihood (that will be) lawful and without trouble (on my part).’

2386- After all this invocation and outcry, suddenly I saw a cow in my house.

2387- My eye became dim, not on account of the food, (but) for joy that the supplication had been accepted.

2388- I killed her that I might give (alms) in thankfulness that He who knoweth things unseen had hearkened to my prayer.”

2399 “Hark,” said he, “0 demander of (redress on account of) the cow, give me a respite to-day and do not search into these matters of dispute,

2400- So that I may go to a solitary place and ask the Knower of mysteries about these matters, (whilst I am engaged) in prayer.

2401- During prayer I am accustomed to turn thus (to God): (that is) the meaning of (the words of the Tradition), "The delight I feel in the ritual prayer."

2402- The window of my soul is opened, and from the purity (of the Unseen World) the Book of God comes (to me) without intermediary.

2403- The Book and the rain (of Divine grace) and the Light are falling through my window into my house from my (real and original) source.’’

2404- The house that is without a window is Hell: to make a window, O servant (of God),is the foundation of the (true) Religion.

2408- “I am plunged in the Light, like the sun; I cannot distinguish myself from the Light.

2409- My going to prayer and to that solitude is for the purpose of teaching the people the Way.

2414- They left to go to a place where they could be alone (for Bandgi).

2415- He shut the door, and then went quickly to the prayer-niche and (betook himself to) the invocation that is answered (by God).

2416- God revealed the entire matter to him’ he became aware of him that was (really) deserving of punishment.

2417- Next day all the litigants came and formed ranks before David.

2418- Thus the questions (left) in dispute came up again: the plain tiff at once uttered violent reproaches.

How David gave judgement against the owner of the cow, bidding him withdraw from the case concerning the cow; and how the owner of the cow reproached David, on whom be peace.

2419- David said to him, “Be silent! Go, abandon (your claim), and acquit this Moslem of (responsibility for) your cow.

2420- Inasmuch as God has thrown a veil over you (concealed your guilt), O youth, depart and keep silence and acknowledge the obligation of (giving thanks to God for His) concealment.”

2421- He cried, “Oh, woe is me! What judgement is this, what justice? Wilt thou establish a new law on my account?

2423- This wrong has never been done (even) to blind dogs; rock and mountain are burst asunder of a sudden by this iniquity.”

2424- In such fashion was he uttering reproaches publicly, crying, “Hark ye, ‘tis the time of injustice, hark ye!”

How David pronounced sentence against the owner of the cow, saying, “Give him (the defendant) the whole of your property.”

2425. After that, David said to him, “O contumacious man, give the whole of your wealth to him immediately;

2428- Once more he went on in this (strain of) reproach; then David called him to his presence,

2429- And said, “Since ‘twas not your fortune (to be saved), O you whose fortune is blind, little by little your wickedness has come to light.

2431- Begone! Your children and your wife have (now) become his slaves. Say no more!”

2433- The people too began to blame (David), for they were unaware of the hidden (circumstances) of his (the plaintiff’s) action.

2440- That party (of the people) turned their faces to David, saying, “O chosen prophet, who hast compassion on us,

2441- This is unworthy of thee, for this is a manifest injustice: thou hast abased an innocent man for naught.”

How David, on whom be peace, resolved to summon the people to a certain plain, in older that he might disclose the mystery and make an end of all arguments.

2442- He said, “O friends, the time has come that his hidden secret should he displayed.

2443- Arise, all (of you), that we may go forth, so that we may be come acquainted with that hidden secret.

2444- In such and such a plain there is a huge tree, its boughs dense and numerous and curved.

2445- From its roots the smell of blood is coining to me.

2446- Murder has been done at the bottom of that goodly tree: this man of sinister fortune has killed his master.

2447- The clemency, of God has concealed that (crime) till now, (but) at last.(it has come to ‘light) through the ingratitude of that scoundrel,

2448- Who never a single day looked upon his master’s family, not (even) at Nawróz and (other) seasons of festival,

2449- And never ‘searched after the destitute (children, to relieve their want) with a single morsel of food, or bethought him of the former obligations (which he had received),

2450. (And so continued), till for the sake of a cow this accursed wretch is now felling his (master’s) son’ to the earth.

How the people went forth to that tree.

2472- When they went forth to that tree, he (David) said, “Tie his hands fast behind him,

2473- In order that I may bring to light his sin and crime, and may plant the banner of justice on the field.

2474- O dog,” said he, “you have killed this man’s grandfather. You are a slave: by this means you have become a lord.

2475- You killed your master and carried off his property: God bath made manifest what happened to him.

2476- Your wife was his handmaid; she has acted unjustly towards this same master.

2477- Whatever (children) she bore to him, female or male—all of them from beginning to end are the property of the (master’s) heir.

2478- You are a slave: your gains and goods are his property. You demanded the Law: take the Law and go: ‘tis well.

2479- You killed your master miserably by violence, (whilst) your master was crying for mercy on this very spot.

2480- In your haste you hid the knife under the soil, because of the terrible apparition which you beheld.

2481- Lo, his head together with the knife is under the soil! Dig ye back the soil, thus!

2482- On the knife, too, the name of this dog is written, (who) dealt with his master so deceitfully and injuriously.”

2483- They did even so (as he ordered), and when they cleft (the earth) they found in the soil the knife and the head.

How David, on whom be peace, ordered that retaliation should be taken on the murderer after his conviction.

2486- He ordered retaliation (by killing him) with that same knife: how should contrivance deliver him from the knowledge of God?

2487- Although God’s clemency bestows (many) kindnesses, yet when he (the sinner) has gone beyond bounds, He exposes (him).

2492- When the mystery of his (the murderer’s) case had been divulged, David’s miracles became doubly manifest.

This indeed is the soul of all miracles, that it (the miracle) should bestow everlasting life on the (spiritually) dead. The wicked man was killed and a whole world (of people) were quickened with life: every one became anew a (devoted) servant to God. Explaining that Man’s fleshly soul is in the position of the murderer who had become a claimant on account of the cow, and that the slayer of the cow is the intellect, and that David is God or the Shaykh who is God’s vicar, by means, of whose strength and support it is possible to kill the wicked (murderer) and be enriched with (spiritual) daily bread that is not earned by labour and for which, there is no reckoning.

2504- Kill your fleshly soul and make the world (spiritually)alive; it (your fleshly soul) has killed its master: make it (your) slave.

2505- Hark! your fleshly soul is (as) the claimant (of compensation) for the cow: it has made itself a master and thief.

2506- The slayer of the cow is your intellect (rational soul): go, do not be offended with the’ slayer of the cow, (which is) your body.

2508- Upon what does its daily bread (won) without toil depend? Upon its killing the cow is the origin of (all) evil.

2509- The fleshly soul says, “How shouldst thou kill my ‘cow’?-because the “cow” of the fleshly soul is the (outward) form of the body.

6/1868- During this (present) time (men's) inward beliefs are (as variegated) as a piebald cow, and in the (different) religious sects the spindle of speech is spinning (threads of) a hundred colours.

6/1874- Then those lions will come forth from the (worldly) pasture, and God will show (unto them) their income and expenditure without any veil (disguise).

6/1875- The (spiritual) essence of Man will encompass land and sea, (while) the piebald cattle will be killed as victims on the Day of Slaughter.

6/1876- The terrible Day of Slaughter at the Resurrection is a festival for the true believers and (the hour of)destruction for the cattle.

2510- The intellect, (typified by) the master’s son, is left destitute, (while) the fleshly soul, (typified by) the murderer, has become a master and leader.

2511- Do you know what is the daily bread (won) without toil? It is the food of spirits and the daily bread of the prophet.

2512- But it depends upon sacrificing the cow: know (that) the (spiritual) treasure (is found) in (sacrifice of) the cow, O you who dig in (holes and) corners!

2517- The prophets came in order to cut (the cords of secondary) causes: they flung their miracles at Saturn (in the Seventh Heaven).

2520- The whole of the Qur’an consists in (is concerned with) the cutting off of (secondary) causes: (its theme is) the glory of the poor (prophet or saint) and the destruction of (those like) Abu Lahab.

2523- (God said), “Inflict (a blow with) the tail of the killed cow upon the murdered man, in order that at the same moment he may come to life (again) in the winding-sheet,

2524- (And that) he whose throat was cut may spring up from his place and seek (vengeance for) his blood from the shedder of his blood

2525- In like manner, from the beginning of the Qur’an to the end, ‘tis (wholly concerned with) the abandonment of (secondary) causes and means. And (now) farewell (to this subject).

2526- The explanation (of the mystery) thereof is not (given) by the meddlesome intellect: do service (to God), in order that it may become clear to you.

2527- The philosopher is in bondage to things perceived by the intellect; (but) the ‘pure (saint) is he that rides as a prince on the Intellect of intellect.

Ya Ali Madad