How Jesus, on whom be peace, fled to the top of a mountain (to escape) from the fools.

2570- Jesus, son of Mary, was fleeing to a mountain: you would say that a lion wished to shed his blood.

2571- A certain man ran after him and said, “(Is it) well (with thee)? There is no one in pursuit of thee: why dost thou flee, like a bird?”

2572- (But) he (Jesus) still kept running with haste so (quickly) that on account of his haste he did not answer him.

2573- He pushed on in pursuit of Jesus for the distance of one or two fields, and then invoked Jesus with the utmost earnestness,

2574- Saying, “For the sake of pleasing God, stop one moment, for I have a difficulty concerning thy flight.

2575- From whom art thou fleeing in this direction, O noble one? There is no lion pursuing thee, no enemy, and there is no fear or danger.”

2576- He said, “I am fleeing from the fool. Begone! I am saving myself. Do not debar me!”

2577- “Why,” said he, “art not thou the Messiah by whom the blind and the deaf are restored (to sight and hearing)?”

2578- He said, “Yea.” Said the other, “Art not thou the King in whom the spells of the Unseen World have their abode?

2579- (So that) when thou chantest those spells over a dead man, he springs up (rejoicing) like a lion that has caught his prey.”

2580- He said, “Yea, I am he.” Said the other, “Dost not thou make (living) birds out of clay, O beauteous one?”

2581- He said, “Yea.” Said the other, “Then, O pure Spirit, thou doest whatsoever thou wilt: of whom hast thou fear?

2582- With such (miraculous) evidence, who is there in the world that would not be one of the slaves (devoted) to thee?”

2583- Jesus said, “By the holy Essence of God, the Maker of the body and the Creator of the soul in eternity;

2584- By the sanctity of the pure Essence and Attributes of Him, for whose sake the collar of Heaven is rent,

2585. (I swear) that the spells and the Most Great Name which I pronounced over the deaf and the blind were good (in their effects).

2586- I pronounced (them) over the stony mountain: it was cloven and tore upon itself its mantle down to the navel.

2587- I pronounced (them) over the corpse: it came to life. I pronounced (them) over nonentity: it became entity.

2588- I pronounced them lovingly over the heart of the fool hundreds of thousands of times, and ’twas no cure (for his folly).

2589- He became hard rock and changed not from that disposition; he became sand from which no produce grows.”

2590. Said the other, “What is the reason that the Name of God availed there, (while) it had no advantage (good effect) here?

2591- That (physical infirmity) is disease too, and this (folly) is a disease: why did it (the Name of God) not become a cure for this, since it cured that?”

2592- He (Jesus) said, “The disease of folly is (the result of) the wrath of God; (physical) disease and blindness are not (the result of Divine) wrath: they are (a means of) probation.”

2593- Probation is a disease that brings (Divine) mercy (in its train); folly is a disease that brings (Divine) rejection.

2594- That which is branded on him (the fool) He (God) hath sealed: no hand can apply a remedy to it.

2595. Flee from the foolish, seeing that (even) Jesus fled (from them): how much blood has been shed by companionship with fools!

2596- The air steals away (absorbs) water little by little: so too does the fool steal away religion from you.

2597- He steals away your heat and gives you cold, like one who puts a stone under your rump.

2598- The flight of Jesus was not caused by fear, (for) he is safe (from the mischief done by fools): it was for the purpose of teaching (others).

2599- Though intense frost fill the world from end to end, what harm (would it do) to the radiant sun?

Story of the Súfí's being enamoured of the empty food-wallet.

3014- One day a Súfí espied a food-wallet (hanging) on a nail: he began to whirl and rend his garments,

3015- Crying, “Lo, the food of the foodless! Lo, the remedy for famines and pangs (of hunger)!”

3016- When his smoke and tumult (his ecstasy) waxed great, every one that was a Súfí joined him (imitated his behaviour).

3017- They were shouting and shrieking: several were becoming intoxicated and beside themselves.

3018- An idle busybody said to the Súfí, “What is the matter? (Only) a food-wallet hung (on a nail), and it is empty of bread!”

3019- He (the Súfí) said, “Begone, begone! Thou art a (mere) form without spirit: do thou seek existence (not non-existence), for thou art no lover.”

3020- The lover's food is love of the bread, without (the existence of) the bread: no one that is sincere (in his love) is in thrall to existence.

3021- Lovers have naught to do with existence: lovers have the interest without (having) the capital.

3022- They have no wings, and (yet) they fly round the world; they have no hands, and (yet) they carry off the ball from the polo-field.

3023- That dervish who scented (perceived) Reality used to weave baskets though his hand had been cut off.

3024- Lovers have pitched their tents in non-existence: they are of one colour (quality) and one essence, like non-existence.

Story of the Amír and his slave who was very fond of the ritual prayer and had a great joy in the ritual prayer and in communing with God.

3055- At dawn the Amír wanted (to go to) the hot bath: he shouted, “Ho Sunqur, rouse yourself!

3056- Get from Altún the basin and the napkin and the clay, that we may go to the hot bath, O indispensable one.”

3057- Sunqur at that (very) moment took up the basin and a fine napkin and set out with him—the two together.

3058- There was a mosque on the road, and the call to prayer came publicly into Sunqur's ear.

3059- Sunqur was very fond of the ritual prayer: he said, “O my Amír, O kind master,

3060- Stay patiently for a while on this bench, that I may perform the obligatory prayers and may recite (the Súra beginning with the words) lam yakun.”

3061- When the Imám and the people had come forth and finished the prayers and litanies,

3062- Sunqur remained there till near the forenoon: the Amír awaited him for some time;

3063- (Then) he said, “O Sunqur, why don't you come out?” He replied, “This artful One will not let me (out).

3064- Have patience! Behold, I come, O light (of my eyes)! I am not heedless, for thou art in my ear.”

3065- Seven times in succession did he show patience and (then) shout—till at last the man was reduced to despair by his (Sunqur's) trifling.

3066- His (Sunqur's) reply was (always) this—“He will not let me come out yet, O revered (master).”

3067- He (the master) said, “Why, there is no one left in the mosque. Who is detaining you there? Who has made you sit (fast)?”

3068- He (Sunqur) said, “He who has chained thee outside (of the mosque) has chained me too inside (of it).

3069- He who will not let thee come in, will not let me come out.

3070- He who will not let thee set foot in this direction has chained the foot of this slave (so that it cannot move) in this (opposite) direction.”

3071- The sea does not let the fish out; the sea does not let the creatures of earth in.

3072- Water is the original home of the fish, and the (gross) animal is of the earth: here device and contrivance are of no avail.

3073- Strong is the lock (of Divine destiny), and the (only) opener is God: cling to resignation and acquiescence (in God's will).

3074- Though the atoms, one by one, should become keys, (yet) this opening is not (effected) save by the Divine Majesty.

3075- When you forget your own contrivance, you will gain that young (happy) fortune from your spiritual Guide.

3076- When you are forgetful of self, you are remembered (by God): (when) you have become a slave (to Him), then you are set free.

Explaining how the faith of the conventional (worldly) man consists in fear and hope.

3093- The motive in every trade is hope and chance, even though their necks are (worn thin), like a spindle, from (incessant) toil.

3094- When he (the trader) goes in the morning to his shop, he is running (thither) in the hope and chance of (earning) a livelihood.

3095- (If) you have not the chance of (earning) a livelihood, why do you go (to your shop)?

3096- There is the fear (danger) of disappointment: how (then) are you strong (confident)?

3097- In (the case of) earning food, how has the fear of eternal (eternally predestined) disappointment not made you feeble in your search?

3098- You will say, “Though the fear of disappointment is before (me), this fear is greater (when I am) in idleness.

3099- (When I am) at work my hope is greater: (when I am) in idleness I have more risk.”

3100. Or have not you seen in what a gainful trade the people of this bazaar of ours, the prophets and the saints, are (engaged),

3101- And what mines (of treasure) have appeared to them from this going to the (spiritual) shop, and how they have gotten gain in this market?

3102- To that one (H. Ibrahim) the fire became submissive, like an anklet.

The story of Anas, may God be pleased with him: how he cast a napkin into a fiery oven, and it was not burnt.

3110. It has come (down to us) concerning Anas son of Málik that a certain person became his guest.

3111- He (that person) related that after the meal Anas saw the table-napkin (was) yellow in hue,

3112- Dirty and stained; and said, “O maid-servant, throw it into the oven at once.”

3113- Thereupon the intelligent (maid) threw it into the oven, which was full of fire.

3114- All the guests were astounded thereat: they were in expectation of (seeing) the smoke of the (burning) napkin.

3115- After a short time she took it out of the oven, clean and white and purged of that filth.

3116- The party (of guests) said, “O venerable Companion (of the Prophet), how didn't it burn, and how too did it become cleansed?”

3117- He replied, “Because Mustafá (Mohammed) often rubbed his hands and lips on this napkin.”

3118- O heart afraid of the fire and torment (of Hell), draw nigh unto such a hand and lip as that!

3119- Since it (the Prophet's blessing) bestowed such honour upon a lifeless object, what things will it reveal to the soul of the lover!

3120- Inasmuch as he (the Prophet) made the clods of the Ka‘ba the qibla (towards which the Moslems turn), do thou, O soul, be (as) the dust of holy men in (thy) war (against the flesh).

3121- Afterwards they said to the maid-servant, “Wilt not thou tell (us) thine own feelings about all this?

3122- Why didst thou (so) quickly cast it (into the oven) at his behest? I suppose he was acquainted with the secrets,

3123- (But) why didst thou, mistress, throw such a precious napkin into the fire?”

3124- She answered, “I have confidence in the generous: I do not despair of their bounty.

3125- What of a piece of cloth? If he bid me (myself) go without regret into the very essence of the fire,

3126- I, from perfect confidence (in him), will fall (throw myself) in: I have great hope of them that are devoted to God.

3127- I will throw myself in, not (only) this napkin, because of my confidence in every generous one who knows the mystery.”

3128- O brother, apply thyself to this elixir: the faith of a man must not be less than the faith of a woman.

3129- The heart of the man that is less than a woman is the heart that is less (in worth) than the belly.

Ya Ali Madad