Story of the Farther Mosque and the carob and how, before Solomon, David, resolved on building that Mosque.

(388) When David’s resolve that he would build the Farther Mosque with stone came to sore straits,

(389) God made a Revelation to him, saying, “Proclaim the abandonment of this, for this place will not be achieved by your hand.

(390) - It is not in Our fore-ordainment that you should raise this Farther Mosque (al Aqsa in Jerusalem), O chosen one.”

(391) - He said, “O Knower of the secret, what is my crime, that You forbid me to construct the Mosque ?”

(392) - He said, “Without a crime, you have wrought much bloodshed: you have taken upon your neck the blood of persons who have suffered injustice;

(393) - For from your voice a countless multitude gave up the ghost and fell a prey to it.

(394) - Much blood has gone to the score of your voice, to your beautiful soul-ravishing song.”

(395) - He said, “I was overpowered by You, drunk with You: my hand was tied up by Your hand.

(396) - Was not every one that was overpowered by the King the object of mercy? Was not he ‘The overpowered is like the non-existent’ ?"

(397) - He said, “This overpowered man is that non-existent one who is only relatively non-existent. Have sure faith !

(398) - Such a non-existent one who has gone from himself is the best of beings, and the great.

(399) - He has passed away (fana) in relation to the Divine attributes; in passing away he really has the life everlasting (baqa).

(405) - Although he was unaffected by pleasures, he was a man of pleasure and became the recipient of pleasure.

Explanation of “Truly, the Faithful are brothers, and the ulama are as one soul”; in particular, the oneness of David, Solomon, and all the other prophets, if you disbelieve in one of them, faith in any prophet will not be perfect; and this is the sign of oneness, that if you destroy a single one of those thousands of houses, all the rest will be destroyed, and not a single wall will be left standing; for “We make no distinction between any of them.” Indication is sufficient for him that has intelligence: this goes even beyond indication.

(406) - "Although it will not be accomplished by your labour and strength, yet the Mosque will be erected by your son.

(407) - His deed is your deed, O man of wisdom: know that between the Faithful is an ancient union.”

(408) - The Faithful are numerous, but the Faith is one: their bodies are numerous, but their soul is one.

(410) - Again, in the owner of that breath there is a soul other than the human soul and intelligence.

(411) - The animal soul does not possess oneness: seek not you this oneness from the airy spirit.

(414) - The souls of wolves and dogs are separate, every one; the souls of the Lions of God are united.

(415) - I have spoken of their souls nominally in the plural, for that single soul is a hundred in relation to the body,

(416) - Just as the single light of the sun in heaven is a hundred in relation to the house-courts,

(417) - But when you remove the wall, all the lights on them are one.

(418) - When the houses have no foundation remaining, the Faithful remain one soul.

(432) - The light of the senses and spirits of our fathers is not wholly perishable and nothing, like the grass;

(433) - But, like the stars and moonbeams, they all vanish in the radiance of the Sun.

(434) - It is just as the smart and pain of the flea’s bite disappears when the snake comes in to you.

(435) - It is just as the naked man jumped into the water, that in the water he might escape from the sting of the hornets:

(436) - The hornets circle above, and when he puts out his head they do not spare him.

(437) - The water is remembrance of God, and the hornet is the remembrance, during this time, of such-and-such a woman or such-and-such a man.

(438) - Swallow your breath in the water of recollection and show fortitude, that you may be freed from the old thought and temptation.

(439) - After that, you yourself will assume the nature of that pure water entirely from head to foot.

(440) - As the noxious hornet flees from the water, so will it be afraid of you.

(441) - After that, be far from the water, if you wish; for in your inmost soul you are of the same nature as the water, O fellow-servant.

(442) - Those persons, then, who have passed from the world are not anything, but they are steeped in the Attributes.

(443) - All their attributes are in the Attributes of God, Even as the star is without trace in the presence of the sun.

(444) - If you demand a citation from the Qur’an, O recalcitrant, recite all of them shall be brought into Our presence.

(446) - The spirit debarred from everlasting life is exceedingly tormented; the spirit united in everlasting life is free from barrier.

(462) - That evil-natured person resembles the spider: he weaves stinking veils.

(463) - Of his own gossamer he made a veil over the Light (Noor): he made the eye of his apprehension blind.

(464) - If one takes hold of a horse’s neck, he gains advantage; and if he takes hold of its leg, he receives a kick.

(465) - Do not mount the restive horse without a bridle: make Reason and Religion your leader, and farewell.

(467) - When Solomon began the building, holy like the Ka’ba, august like Mina.

(468) - In his building were seen splendour and magnificence: it was not frigid like other buildings.

(469) - From the first, every stone in the building - that was broken off from the mountain - was saying clearly, “Take me along !”

(470) - As from the water and earth of the house of Adam, did light shine forth from the pieces of mortar.

(471) - The stones were coming without carrier, and those doors and walls had become living.

(472) - God says that the ‘wall of Paradise is not lifeless and ugly like walls;

(474) - Both tree and fruit and limpid water with the inhabitant of Paradise in conversation and discourse,

(482) - The life of the everlasting Abode exists in the heart: since it comes not on to my tongue, what is the use ?

(550) - Empty your brain of disbelief in the Friend, that it may feel sweet odours from the rose-garden of the Friend;

(551) - So that you may feel the scent of Paradise from my Friend, as Mohammed the scent of the Merciful from Yemen.

(552) - If you stand in the rank of those who make the ascension, not-being will bear you aloft, like Buraq (Mairaj).

(553) - It is not like the ascension of a piece of earth to the moon; nay, but like the ascension of a cane to sugar.

(555) - The steed of not-being became a goodly Buraq: it brings you to existence, if you are non-existent.

(556) - Its hoof brushes the mountains and seas till it puts the world of sense perception behind.

(557) - Set your foot into the ship and keep going quickly, like the soul going towards the soul’s Beloved.

(558) - No hands and no feet, go to Eternity in the same fashion as that in which the spirits sped from non-existence.

(559) - If there had not been somnolence in the hearer’s hearing, the veil of logical reasoning would have been torn asunder in the discourse.

(560) - O Heaven, shower pearls on his advice! O World, have shame of his world !

(561) - If you will shower, your substance will become hundredfold: your inorganic will become seeing and speaking.

(562) - Therefore you will have scattered a largesse for your own sake, inasmuch as every stock of yours will be increased a hundredfold.

Story of the druggist whose balance-weight was clay; and how a customer, who was a clay-eater, stole some of that clay covertly and secretly, whilst sugar was being weighed.

(625) - A certain clay-eater went to a druggist to buy fine hard sugar-loaf.

(626) - Now, at the druggist’s, a crafty vigilant man, in place of the balance-weight there was clay.

(627) - He said, “If you want to buy sugar, my balance-weight is clay.”

(628) - He said, “I am requiring sugar for an urgent affair: let the balance-weight be whatever you wish.”

(629) - To himself he said, “What does the weight matter to one that eats clay ? Clay is better than gold.”

(630) - As the go-between (dallala) who said, “O son, I have found a very beautiful new bride.

(631) - Exceedingly pretty, but there is just one thing, that the lady is a confectioner’s daughter.”

(632) - "Better,” said he; “if it is indeed so, his daughter will be fatter and sweeter.”

(633) - "If you have no weight and your weight is of clay, this is better and better: clay is the fruit of my heart.”

(634) - He placed the clay, because of its being ready, in one scale of the balance instead of the weight;

(635) - Then, for the other scale, he was breaking with his hand the equivalent amount of sugar.

(636) - Since he had no pick-axe, he took a long time and made the customer sit waiting.

(637) - His face was towards that, the clay-eater, unable to restrain himself, began covertly to steal the clay from him,

(638) - Terribly frightened lest his eye should fall upon him of a sudden for the purpose of testing.

(639) - The druggist saw it, but made himself busy, saying, “Come, steal more, O pale-faced one !

(640) - If you will be a thief and take some of my clay, go on, for you are eating out of your own side.

(641) - You are afraid of me, but because you are an ass: I am afraid you will eat less.

(642) - Though I am occupied, I am not such a fool that you should get too much of my sugar-cane.

(643) - When you see by experience the sugar, then you will know who was foolish and careless.”

(1082) - Rejoice, O lovers, in supplication at this same door, for it is opened today.

(1083) - Every pot-herb, garlic and caper, has a different bed in the garden.

(1084) - Each with its own kind in its own bed drinks moisture for the purpose of becoming mature.

(1085) - You, who are a saffron-bed, be saffron and do not mix with the others.

(1086) - Drink the water, O saffron that you may attain to maturity: you are saffron, you will attain to that halwá.

(1087) - Do not put your muzzle into the bed of turnips, for it will not agree with you in nature and habit.

The rest of the story of Solomon, Ginan is how he built the Farther Mosque by instruction and inspiration from God, for wise purposes which He knows; and how angels, demons, genies, and men lent visible aid.

(1113) - "O Solomon, build the Farther Mosque, the army of Bilqis has come into the prayer.”

(1114) - When he laid the foundation of that Mosque, genies and men came and threw themselves into the work,

(1149) - Become like Solomon, in order that your demons may hew stone for your palace.

(1151) - This heart is your seal— take heed lest the seal fall a prey to the demon !

How Solomon, entered the Farther Mosque daily, after its completion, for the purpose of worshipping and directing the worshippers and devotees; and how medicinal herbs grew in the Mosque.

(1287) - Every morning, when Solomon came and made supplication in the Farther Mosque.

(1288) - He saw that a new plant had grown there; then he would say, “Tell your name and use.

(1289) - What medicine are you ? What are you ? What is your name? To whom are you hurtful and for whom is your usefulness ?”

(1290) - Then every plant would tell its effect and name, saying “I am life to that one, and death to this one.

(1291) - I am poison to this one, and sugar to that one: this is my name on the Tablet by the Divine decree.”

(1292) - Then from Solomon about those plants the physicians (Scholars) became learned and wise authorities,

(1293) - So that they compiled medical books and were relieving the body from pain.

(1294) - This astronomy and medicine is Divine inspiration to the prophets: where is the way for intellect and sense towards that which is without direction ?

(1295) - The particular intellect is not the intellect of production: it is only the receiver of science and is in need.

(1296) - This intellect is capable of being taught and of apprehending, but the man possessed of Divine inspiration gives it the teaching.

(1297) - Assuredly, in their beginning, all trades were from Divine inspiration, but the intellect added to them.

(1298) - Consider whether this intellect of ours can learn any trade without a master.

(1300) - If knowledge of a trade were from this intellect, any trade would be acquired without a master.

(1309) Concerning the Universal Intellect He has said, “The sight did not rove,” the particular intellect is looking in every direction.

(1310) - The Intellect whose sight does not rove is the light (Noor) of the elect; the crow-intellect is the sexton for the dead.

(1311) - The spirit that flies after crows - the crow carries it towards the graveyard.

(1312) - Beware ! Do not run in pursuit of the crow-like fleshly soul, for it carries to the graveyard, not towards the orchard.

(1313) - If you go, go in pursuit of the Anqa of the heart, towards the Qaf and Farther Mosque of the heart.

(1314) - Every moment from your cogitation a new plant is growing in your Farther Mosque.

(1315) - Do you, like Solomon, give it its due: investigate it, do not lay upon it the foot of rejection,

(1372) - Oh, happy he that died before death, i.e. he got scent of the origin of this vineyard.

Story of the growing of the carob in a nook of the Farther Mosque, and how Solomon, was grieved thereat, when it began to talk with him and told its characteristic property and its name.

(1373) - Then Solomon saw that a new plant had grown, like an ear of wheat, in a nook.

(1374) - He saw a very uncommon plant, green and fresh: its greenness took away the light from the sight.

(1375) - Then that herb at once saluted him: he answered it and marvelled at its beauty.

(1376) - I said, “What is your name ? Say without mouth.” It said, "It is ‘carob,’ O king of the world."

(1377) - He said, “What special property is in you ?” It replied, “I have grown, the place becomes desolate.

(1378) - I who am carob (kharrub), am the ruin (kharàb) of the abode: I am the destroyer of the building of this water and clay.”

(1379) - Then at that moment Solomon immediately understood that the appointed term was come and that the departure would appear.

(1380) - He said, “So long as I exist, assuredly this Mosque will not be damaged by the banes of the earth.

(1381) - While I am and my existence continues, how should the Farther Mosque become split open with cracks ?”

(1382) - Know, then, that without doubt the ruin of our mosque does not occur except after our death.

(That carob and this carob)

(1383) - The mosque is the heart to which the body bows down: wherever the mosque is, the bad companion is the carob.

(1384) - When love for a bad companion has grown in you, beware, flee from him and do not converse.

(1385) - Tear it up by the root, for if it shoots up its head it will demolish you and your mosque.

(1386) - O lover, your carob is falseness: why do you creep, like children, towards the false ?

Ya Ali Madad