(1960) Intelligence consists of two intelligences; the former is the acquired one which you learn, like a boy at school,

(1961) From book and teacher and reflection and memory, and from concepts, and from excellent and virgin sciences.

(1962) Your intelligence becomes superior to others; but through preserving that you are heavily burdened.

(1963) You, in wandering and going about, are a preserving tablet; the preserved tablet is he that has passed beyond this.

(1964) The other intelligence is the gift of God: its fountain is in the midst of the soul.

(1965) When the water of knowledge gushes from the breast, it does not become fetid, old or yellow;

(1966) And if its way of issue be stopped, what harm ? For it gushes continually from the house.

(1967) The acquired intelligence is like the conduits which run into a house from the streets :

(1968) Its water-way is blocked, it is without any supply. Seek the fountain from within yourself !

(1986) The reason that is allied to Faith is like a just police-inspector: it is the guardian and magistrate of the city of the heart.

How the Prophet, on whom be peace, appointed a youth of Hudhayl to be commander of an expeditionary force in which there were elders and veteran warriors.

(1992) The Prophet was sending a force to fight against the unbelievers and repel insolence.

(1993) He chose a youth of Hudhayl and appointed him commander of the army and leader of the cavalry.

(1994) The foundation of an army is unquestionably the chief in command: a people without a chief are a body without a head.

(1995) That you are dead and decrepit— all this is because you have abandoned the chief.

(1997) Like the beast that flees from the burden: it takes its head into the mountains.

(1998) Its master is running after it, crying, “O giddy-headed one, on every side there is a wolf in quest of an ass.

(2004) The Almighty did not call you an ass, He called you a horse: the Arabs say to the Arab horse “ta‘ál” (“come”).

(2005) Mustafa was God’s stable-overseer for the beasts, the iniquitous carnal soul.

(2006) Moved by lovingkindness, He said, “Say, ‘ta‘ál (come), to the end that I may train you: I am the trainer.’”

(2015) Some are chagrined by this story, for every bird has a separate cage.

(2016) Even the angels too were not peers: for this reason they formed diverse ranks in Heaven.

(2019) Though a hundred thousand ears are arrayed in rank, they all are in need of the clear eye.

(2025) Do not make little of the Word ta‘ál (come): this Word is an exceedingly great elixir.

(2026) If a copper turn away in repugnance from your saying, by no means withhold the elixir from him.

(2028) O slave, "say Come, say Come," take heed, for verily God invites unto the Peace.

(2029) Then come back, sire, from egoism and headship: seek a leader, do not desire leadership.

How an objector objected to the Prophet’s - on whom be peace - in appointing the man of Hudhayl to be commander.

(2030) When the Prophet appointed a leader from Hudhayl for the army whose troops were divinely aided,

(2031) An insolent fellow, through envy, could not endure : he raised objection and opposition.

(2032) Behold humankind, how dark they are, and how they are perishing in a perishable piece of goods.

(2033) On account of pride they all are in separation, dead to the spirit, living in deception.

(2034) It is wonderful that the spirit is in prison, and then the key of the prison is in its hand !

(2035) That youth is plunged in dung from head to foot; the flowing river is touching his skirt !

(2037) The light (Noor) is hidden, and search is the evidence, for the heart does not seek shelter in vain.

(2039) Your aversion is dragging you along, like a custodian, saying, “O man astray, seek the path of righteousness.”

(2040) The path is there, but it is hidden in a secret place: its discovery is in pawn to seeking in vain.

(2041) Separation is secretly in quest of union: in this seeker do you discern the face of the sought.

(2042) The dead of the orchard spring up from the root, Saying, “Perceive the Giver of life !”

(2043) How should the eyes of these prisoners be always on beyond, if there were no bringer of the good news ?

(2044) How should there be a hundred thousand befouled ones seeking water, if there were no water in the river ?

(2045) There is no rest for your side upon the earth, know that there is a coverlet and mattress at home.

(2046) Without a resting-place there would not be the restless; without that which takes away the headache of intoxication, there would not be this headache.

(2047) He said, “Nay, nay, O Messenger of God, do not appoint any but an old Shaykh to be chief of the army.

(2048) O Messenger of God, if the youth is lion-born, may none but an old man be head of the army !

(2049) You too have said, and your word is witness, ‘The leader must be old, must be old.’

(2050) O Messenger of God, look on this army, there are so many elders and superior to him.”

(2051) Do not regard the yellow leaves of this tree, pick its ripe apples.

(2060) Cease speaking of gold pallor, for this topic is recondite: this heart of mine has become agitated like quicksilver.

(2061) From within me a hundred sweet-breathing silent ones put their hands on their lips, signifying, “It is enough.”

(2062) Silence is the sea, and speech is like the river. The sea is seeking you: do not seek the river.

(2063) Do not turn your head away from the indications given by the sea: conclude and God best knows the right course.

(2064) That irreverent made no pause in the words in this fashion from those cold lips in the presence of the Prophet.

(2065) Words were assisting him; he was ignorant that hearsay is mere babble in the presence of sight.

(2066) Indeed, these matters of hearsay are a substitute for sight: they are not for him who is present, for him who is absent.

(2067) Whoever has been caused to attain unto sight, before him these matters of hearsay are idle.

(2068) When you have sat down beside your beloved, after this banish the dallala (the old women who act as go-betweens).

(2069) When any one has passed beyond childhood and has become a man, the letter and the dallala become irksome to him.

(2070) He reads letters, for the purpose of teaching; he utters words, for the purpose of making understand.

(2071) It is wrong to speak by hearsay in the presence of those who see, for it is a proof of our heedlessness and deficiency.

(2072) In the presence of the seer silence is to your advantage: on this account came the allocution, be silent.

(2073) If he bids you speak, speak gladly, but say little and do not draw out to length;

(2074) And if he bid you draw them out to length, speak with the same modesty and comply with his command,

How Mustafa, on whom be peace, answered the objector.

(2081) When that Arab carried disputation beyond bounds in the presence of sweet-tempered Mustafa,

(2082) That king of Wa ’l-Najm and that sultan of Abas bit his lip and said to the silly prater, “Enough !”

(2083) He was putting his hand on his mouth to prevent him, “How long will you speak in the presence of one who knows the occult ?”

(2084) You have brought dry ordure to one endowed with vision, saying, “Buy this instead of a musk-bag.”

(2097) Especially this wine which is from the jar of Bala— not the wine whereof the intoxication lasts one night;

(2098) That from which, at dessert and in migration, the Men of the Cave lost their reason for three hundred and nine years.

(2099) The women of Egypt drank one cup of that and cut their hands to pieces.

(2100) The magicians too had the intoxication of Moses: they deemed the gallows to be their beloved.

(2101) Jafar-i Tayyar was drunk with that wine: therefore, being beside himself, he was pawning his feet and hands.

Story of Bayazid’s—may God sanctify his spirit—saying, “Glory to me ! How grand is my estate !” and the objection raised by his disciples, and how he gave them an answer to this, not by the way of speech but by the way of vision.

(2102) That venerable dervish, Bayazid, came to his disciples, saying, “Lo, I am God.”

(2103) That master of the sciences said plainly in drunken fashion, “Listen, there is no god but I, so worship me.”

(2104) When that ecstasy had passed, they said to him at dawn, “You said such and such, and this is impiety.”

(2105) He said, “This time, if I make a scandal, come on at once and dash knives into me.

(2106) God transcends the body, and I am with the body: you must kill me when I say a thing like this.”

(2107) When that freeman gave the injunction, each disciple made ready a knife.

(2108) Again he became intoxicated by that potent flagon: those injunctions vanished from his mind.

(2109) The Dessert came: his reason became distraught. The Dawn came: his candle became helpless.

(2111) Reason is the shadow of God: God is the sun: what power has the shadow to resist His sun ?

(2112) When a genie prevails over a man, the attributes of humanity disappear from the man.

(2114) Since a genie has this influence and rule, how indeed must be the Creator of that genie !

(2115) His “he” is gone: he has in truth become the genie : the Turk, without Divine inspiration, has become a speaker of Arabic.

(2116) When he comes to himself, he does not know a word. Inasmuch as a genie has this essence and quality,

(2117) Then how, pray, should the Lord of genie and man have inferiority to the genie ?

(2123) When the huma of selflessness took wing, Bayazid began those words.

(2124) The flood of bewilderment swept away his reason: he spoke more strongly than he had spoken at first,

(2125) “Within my mantle there is naught but God: how long will you seek on the earth and in heaven (Aasman) ?”

(2126) All the disciples became frenzied and dashed their knives at his holy body.

(2127) Like the heretics of Girdakuh, everyone was ruthlessly stabbing his spiritual Director.

(2128) Everyone who plunged a dagger into the Shaykh was reversely making a gash in his own body.

(2129) There was no mark on the body of that possessor of the sciences, while those disciples were wounded and drowned in blood.

(2130) Whoever aimed a blow at his throat saw his own throat cut, and died miserably;

(2131) And whoever inflicted a blow on his breast, his breast was split, and he became dead for ever;

(2132) And he that was acquainted with that emperor of high fortune, his heart did not consent to strike a heavy blow,

(2133) Half-knowledge tied his hand; he saved his life and only wounded himself.

(2134) Day broke, and the disciples were thinned: wails of lamentation arose from their house.

(2135) Thousands of men and women came to him, saying, “O you in whose single shirt the two worlds are contained,

(2136) If this body of yours were a human body, it would have been destroyed, like a human body, by the daggers.”

(2137) A self-existent one encountered a selfless one in combat: the self-existent one drove a thorn into his own eye.

(2138) O you who stab the selfless ones with the sword, you are stabbing your own body with it. Beware !

(2139) For the selfless one has passed away and is safe: he is dwelling in safety for ever.

(2140) His form has passed away and he has become a mirror: naught is there but the form of the face of another.

(2144) When the discourse reached this point, it closed its lips; when the pen reached this point, it broke to pieces.

(2145) Close your lips: though eloquence is at your command, do not breathe a word - and God best knows the right way.

How the Prophet, on whom be peace, explained the cause of his preferring and choosing the man of Hudhayl as commander and chief of the army over the heads of the elders and veterans.

(2160) The Prophet said, “O you who look on externals, do not regard him as a youth and unskilled.

(2161) Oh, there is many a black beard and the man old; oh, there is many a white beard with a heart as pitch.

(2162) Often have I tested his understanding: that youth has shown age in affairs.

(2163) O son, the old is the old in understanding: it is not whiteness of the hair in the beard and on the head.

(2167) Since the blind imitator recognises nothing but proof, he continually seeks the way in the sign.

(2168) For his sake we have said, ‘When you wish to plan, choose an elder.’

(2169) He who has escaped from the separation of blind imitation sees by the light of God that which is.

(2177) There is many a hypocrite who has taken refuge in this out ward form and has shed the blood of a hundred true believers in secret.

(2178) Endeavour to become old in intelligence and religion that you may become, like the Universal Intelligence, a seer of the inward.

Ya Ali Madad