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The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 9

R >> Richard F. Burton >> The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 9




When it was the Nine Hundred and Fourteenth Night,

She resumed: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that after
the King's son had asked his sire's Wazir the casuistical
questions aforesaid, and had received a sufficient answer, Shimas
said to him, "O dear my son,[FN#122] there is no man can tell
thee other but tints I have said, except he twist the words
handed down to us of the Holy Law and turn the truths thereof
from their evident meaning. And such a perversion is their saying
that the Word hath inherent and positive power and I take refuge
with Allah from such a mis-belief! Nay, the meaning of our saying
that Allah (to whom belong Might and Majesty!) created the world
with His Word is that He (exalted be His name!) is One in His
essence and His attributes and not that His Word hath independent
power. On the contrary, power is one of the attributes of Allah,
even as speech and other attributes of perfection are attributes
of Allah (exalted be His dignity and extolled be His empery!);
wherefore He may not be conceived without His Word, nor may His
Word be conceived without Him, for, with His Word, Allah
(extolled be His praise!) created all His creatures, and without
His Word, the Lord created naught. Indeed, He created all things
but by His Word of Truth, and by Truth are we created." Quoth the
Prince, "I comprehend that which thou hast said on the subject of
the Creator and from thee I accept this with understanding, but I
hear thee say that He created the world by His Word of Truth. Now
Truth is the opposite of Falsehood; whence then arose Falsehood
with its opposition unto Truth, and how cometh it to be possible
that it should be confounded therewith and become doubtful to
human beings, so that they need to distinguish between the twain?
And cloth the Creator (to whom belong Might and Majesty!) love
Falsehood or hate it? An thou say He loveth Truth and by it
created all things and abhorreth Falsehood, how came the False,
which the Creator hateth, to invade the True which He loveth?"
Quoth Shimas, "Verily Allah the Most High created man all
Truth[FN#123], loving His name and obeying His word, and on this
wise man had no need of repentance till Falsehood invaded the
Truth whereby he was created by means of the capability[FN#124]
which Allah had placed in him, being the will and the inclination
called lust of lucre.[FN#125] When the False invaded the True on
this wise, right became confounded with wrong, by reason of the
will of man and his capability and greed of gain, which is the
voluntary side of him together with the weakness of human nature;
wherefore Allah created penitence for man, to turn away from him
Untruth and stablish him in Truth, and He created for him also
punishment if he should abide in the obscurity of Falsehood."
Quoth the Prince, "Tell me how came Untruth to invade Truth, so
as to be confounded therewith, and how became man liable to
punishment and so stood in need of repentance." Replied Shimas,
"When Allah created man with Truth, He made him loving to Himself
and there was for him neither repentance nor punishment; but he
abode thus till Allah put in him the soul, which is of the
perfection of humanity, albeit naturally inclined to lust which
is inherent therein. From this sprang the growth of Untruth and
its confusion with Truth, wherewith man was created and with the
love whereof his nature had been made; and when man came to this
pass, he declined from the Truth with disobedience, and whoso
declineth from the Truth falleth into Falsehood." Said the
Prince, "Then Falsehood invaded Truth only by reason of
disobedience and transgression?" Shimas replied, "Yes, and it is
thus because Allah loveth mankind, and of the abundance of His
love to man He created him having need of Himself, that is to
say, of the very Truth. But oftentimes man lapseth from this by
cause of the inclination of the soul to lusts and turneth to
frowardness, wherefore he falleth into Falsehood by the act of
disobeying his Lord and thus deserveth punishment, and, by
putting away from himself Falsehood with repentance and by the
returning to the love of the Truth, he meriteth future reward."
Quoth the Prince, "Tell me the origin of sin, whilst all mankind
trace their being to Adam, and how cometh it that he, being
created of Allah with truth, drew disobedience on himself; then
was his disobedience coupled with repentance, after the soul had
been set in him, that his issue might be reward or retribution?
Indeed, we see some men constant in sinfulness, inclining to that
which He loveth not and transgressing in this the original intent
and purpose of their creation, which is the love of the Truth,
and drawing on themselves the wrath of their Lord, whilst we see
others constant in seeking the satisfaction of their Creator and
obeying Him and meriting mercy and future recompense. What
causeth this difference prevailing between them?" Replied Shimas,
"The origin of disobedience descending upon mankind is
attributable to Iblis, who was the noblest of all that Allah
(magnified be His name!) created of angels[FN#126] and men and
Jinn, and the love of the Truth was inherent in him, for he knew
naught but this; but whenas he saw himself unique in such
dignity, there entered into him pride and conceit, vainglory and
arrogance which revolted from loyalty and obedience to the
commandment of His Creator; wherefore Allah made him inferior to
all creatures and cast him out from love, making his abiding-
place to be in disobedience. So when he knew that Allah
(glorified be His name!) loved not disobedience and saw Adam and
the case wherein he was of truth and love and obedience to his
Creator, envy entered into him and he devised some device to
pervert Adam from the truth, that he might be a partaker with
himself in Falsehood; and by this, Adam incurred chastisement for
his inclining to disobedience, which his foe made fair to him,
and his subjection to his lusts, whenas he transgressed the
charge of his Lord, by reason of the appearance of Falsehood.
When the Creator (magnified be the praises of Him and hallowed be
the names of Him!) saw the weakness of man and the swiftness of
his inclining to his enemy and leaving the truth, He appointed to
him, of His mercy, repentance, that therewith he might arise from
the slough[FN#127] of inclination to disobedience and taking the
arms and armour of repentance, overcame therewith his foe Iblis
and his hosts and return to the Truth, wherein he was created.
When Iblis saw that Allah (magnified be His praise!) had
appointed him a protracted term,[FN#128] he hastened to wage war
upon man and to best him with wiles, to the intent that he might
oust him from the favour of his Lord and make him a partaker with
himself in the wrath which he and his hosts had incurred;
wherefore Allah (extolled be His praises!) appointed unto man the
capability of penitence and commanded him to apply himself to the
Truth and persevere therein; and forbade him from disobedience
and frowardness and revealed to him that he had on the earth an
enemy warring against him and relazing not from him night nor
day. Thus hath man a right to future reward, if he adhere to the
Truth, in the love of which his nature was created; but he
becometh liable to punishment, if the flesh master him and
incline him to lusts."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Nine Hundred and Fifteenth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
young Prince had questioned Shimas touching disputed points of
olden time and had been duly answered, he presently said, "Now
tell me by what power is the creature able to transgress against
his Creator, seeing that His omnipotence is without bounds, even
as thou hast set forth, and that naught can overcome Him or
depart from His will? Deemest thou not that He is able to turn
His creatures from this disobedience and compel them eternally to
hold the Truth?" Answered Shimas, "In very sooth Almighty Allah
(honoured be His name!) is just and equitable and loving-kind to
the people of His affection.[FN#129] He created His creatures
with justice and equity and of the inspiration of His justice and
the overflowing of His mercy, He gave them kingship over
themselves, that they should do whatever they might design. He
showeth them the way of rightwousness and bestoweth on them the
power and ability of doing what they will of good: and if they do
the opposite thereof, they fall into destruction and
disobedience." Q "If the Creator, as thou sayest, have granted
to mankind power and ability[FN#130] and they by reason thereof
are empowered to do whatso they will, why then doth He not come
between them and that which they desire of wrong and turn them to
the right?"--"This is of the greatness of His mercy and the
goodliness of His wisdom; for, even as aforetime he showed wrath
to Iblis and had no mercy on him, even so he showed Adam mercy,
by means[FN#131] of repentance, and accepted of him, after He had
been wroth with him." Q "He is indeed mere Truth, for He it is
who requiteth every one according to his works, and there is no
Creator save Allah who hath power over all things. But tell me,
hath He created that which He loveth and that which He loveth not
or only that which He loveth?"--"He created all things, but
favoureth only that which he loveth." Q "What reckest thou of two
things, one whereof is pleasing to God and earneth future reward
for him who practiseth it and the other offendeth Allah and
entaileth lawful punishment upon the doer?"--"Expound to me these
two things and make me to apprehend them, that I may speak
concerning them." Q "They are good and evil, the two things
inherent in the body and in the soul."--"O wise youth, I see that
thou knowest good and evil to be of the works which the soul and
the body combine to do. Good is named good, because it is in
favour with God, and evil is termed ill, for that in it is His
ill-will. Indeed, it behoveth thee to know Allah and to please
Him by the practice of good, for that He hath bidden us to this
and forbidden us to do evil." Q "I see these two things, to wit,
good and evil, to be wrought only by the five senses familiarly
known in the body of man, which be the sensorium[FN#132] whence
proceed speech, hearing, sight, smell and touch. Now I would
have thee tell me whether these five senses were created
altogether for good or for evil."--"Apprehend, O man, the
exposition of that whereof thou askest and it is a manifest
proof; so lay it up in thine innermost thought and take it to thy
heart. And this it is that the Creator (extolled and exalted be
He!) created man with Truth and impressed him with the love
thereof and there proceedeth from it no created thing save by the
puissance of the Most High, whose trace is in every phenomenon.
He[FN#133] (extol we Him and exalt we Him!) is not apt but to the
ordering of justice and equity and beneficence, and He created
man for the love of Him and set in him a soul, wherein the
inclination to lusts was innate and assigned him capability and
ableness and appointed the Five Senses aforesaid to be to him a
means of winning Heaven or Hell." Q "How so?"--"In that He
created the Tongue for speech, the Hands for action, the Feet for
walking and the Eyes for seeing and the Ears for hearing, and
upon each bestowed especial power and incited them to exercise
and motion, bidding each of them do naught save that which
pleaseth Him. Now what pleaseth Him in Speech is truthfulness and
abstaining from its opposite, which is falsehood; and what
pleaseth Him in Sight is turning it unto that which He loveth and
leaving the contrary, which is turning it unto that which He
hateth, such as looking unto lusts; and what pleaseth Him in
Hearing is hearkening to naught but the True, such as admonition
and that which is in Allah's writ and leaving the contrary, which
is listening to that which incurreth the anger of Allah; and what
pleaseth Him in the Hands is not hoarding up that which He
entrusteth to them, but expending it in such way as shall please
Him and leaving the contrary, which is avarice or spending in
sinfulness that which He hath committed to them; and what
pleaseth Him in the Feet is that they be constant in the pursuit
of good, such as the quest of instruction, and leave its
contrary, which is the walking in other than the way of Allah.
Now respecting the rest of the lusts which man practiseth, they
proceed from the body by command of the soul. But the lusts which
proceed from the body are of two kinds, the lust of reproduction
and the lust of the belly. As for the former, that which pleaseth
Allah thereof is that it be not other than lawful[FN#134] and He
is displeased with it if contrary to His law. As for the lust of
the belly, eating and drinking, what pleaseth Allah thereof is
that each take naught save that which the Almighty hath appointed
him be it little or mickle, and praise the Lord and thank Him;
and what angereth Him thereof is that a man take that which is
not his by right. All precepts other than these are false, and
thou knowest that Allah created everything and delighteth only in
Good and commandeth each member of the body to do that which He
hath made on it incumbent, for that He is the All-wise, the All-
knowing." Q "Was it foreknown unto Allah Almighty (exalted be His
power!) that Adam, by eating of the tree from which He forbade
him and whence befel what befel, would leave obedience for
disobedience?"--"Yes, O sage youth. This was foreknown unto Allah
Almighty ere He created Adam, and the proof and manifestation
attached thereto is the warning He gave him against eating of the
tree and His informing him that, if he ate of the fruit he would
be disobedient. And this was in the way of justice and equity,
lest Adam should have an argument wherewith he might excuse
himself against his Lord. When therefore, he fell into error and
calamity and when disgrace waxed sore upon him and reproach, this
passed to his posterity after him; wherefore Allah sent Prophets
and Apostles and gave to them Books and they taught us the divine
commandments and expounded to us what was therein of admonitions
and precepts and made clear to us and manifest the way of
righteousness and explained to us what it behoved us to do and
what to leave undone. Now we are endowed with Freewill and he who
acteth within these lawful limits winneth his wish and
prospereth, while whoso transgresseth these legal bounds and
doeth other than that which these precepts enjoin, resisteth the
Lord and is ruined in both Abodes. This then is the road of Good
and Evil. Thou knowest that Allah over all things is Omnipotent
and created not lusts for us but of His pleasure and volunty, and
He bade us use them in the way of lawfulness, so they might be to
us a good; but, when we use them in the way of sinfulness they
are to us an evil. Therefore what of righteous we compass is from
Allah Almighty, and what of wrongous from ourselves[FN#135] His
creatures, not from the Creator, exalted be He herefor with
highmost exaltation!"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Nine Hundred and Sixteenth Night,

She continued: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the youth, King Jali'ad's son had questioned Shimas concerning
these subtleties and had been duly answered, he pursued, "That
which thou hast expounded to me concerning Allah and His
creatures I understand; but tell me of one matter, concerning
which my mind is perplexed with extreme wonderment, and that is
that I marvel at the sons of Adam, how careless they are of the
life to come and at their lack of taking thought thereof and
their love to this world, albeit they know that they must needs
leave it and depart from it, whilst they are yet young in
years."--"Yes, verily; and that which thou seest of its
changefulness and traitorousness with its children is a sign that
Fortune to the fortunate will not endure nor to the afflicted
affliction; for none of its people is secure from its
changefulness and even if one have power over it and be content
therewith, yet there is no help but that his estate change and
removal hasten unto him. Wherefore man can put no trust therein
nor profit by that which he enjoyeth of its gilding and
glitter[FN#136]; and we knowing this will know that the sorriest
of men in condition are those who are deluded by this world and
are unmindful of the other world; for that whatso of present ease
they enjoy will not even the fear and misery and horrors which
will befal them after their removal therefrom. Thus are we
certified that, if the creature knew that which will betide him
with the coming of death[FN#137] and his severance from that
which he enjoyeth of pleasure and delight, he would cast away the
world and that which is therein; for we are certified that the
next life is better for us and more profitable." Said the Prince,
"O sage, thou hast dispelled the darkness that was upon my heart
by the light of thy shining lamp and hast directed me into the
right road I must tread on the track of Truth and hast given me a
lantern whereby I may see." Then rose one of the learned men who
was in the presence and said, "When cometh the season of Prime,
needs must the hare seek the pasture as well as the elephant; and
indeed I have heard from you twain such questions and solutions
as I never before heard; but now leave that and let me ask you of
somewhat. Tell me, what is the best of the goods of the world?"
Replied the Prince, "Health of body, lawful livelihood and a
virtuous son." Q "What is the greater and what is the less?"--
"The greater is that to which a lesser than itself submitteth and
the less that which submitteth to a greater than itself." Q "What
are the four things wherein concur all creatures?"--"Men concur
in meat and drink, the sweet of sleep, the lust of women and the
agonies of death." Q "What are the three things whose foulness
none can do away?"--"Folly, meanness of nature, and lying." Q
"What is the best kind of lie,[FN#138] though all kinds are
foul?"--"That which averteth harm from its utterer and bringeth
gain." Q "What kind of truthfulness is foul, though all kinds are
fair?"--"That of a man glorying in that which he hath and
vaunting himself thereof." Q "What is the foulest of
foulnesses?"--"When a man boasteth himself of that which he hath
not." Q "Who is the most foolish of men?"--"He who hath no
thought but of what he shall put in his belly." Then said Shimas,
"O King, verily thou art our King, but we desire that thou assign
the kingdom to thy son after thee, and we will be thy servants
and lieges." So the King exhorted the Olema and others who were
in the presence to remember that which they had heard and do
according thereto and enjoined them to obey his son's
commandment, for that he made him his heir-apparent,[FN#139] so
he should be the successor of the King his sire; and he took an
oath of all the people of his empire, literates and braves and
old men and boys, to mention none other, that they would not
oppose him in the succession nor transgress against his
commandment. Now when the Prince was seventeen years old, the
King sickened of a sore sickness and came nigh to die, so, being
certified that his decease was at hand, he said to the people of
his household, "This is disease of Death which is upon me;
wherefore do ye summon my son and kith and kin and gather
together the Grandees and Notables of my empire, so not one of
them may remain except he be present." Accordingly they fared
forth and made proclamation to those who were near and published
the summons to those who were afar off, and they all assembled
and went in to the King. Then said they to him, "How is it with
thee, O King, and how deemest thou for thyself of these thy
dolours?" Quoth Jali'ad, "Verily, this my malady is mortal and
the shaft of death hath executed that which Allah Almighty
decreed against me: this is the last of my days in the world here
and the first of my days in the world hereafter." Then said he to
his son, "Draw near unto me." So the youth drew near, weeping
with weeping so sore, that he well nigh drenched the bed, whilst
the King's eyes welled tears and all who were present wept. Quoth
Jali'ad, "Weep not, O my son; I am not the first whom this
Inevitable betideth; nay, it is common to all that Allah hath
created. But fear thou the Almighty and do good deeds which shall
precede thee to the place whither all creatures tend and wend.
Obey not thy lusts, but occupy thy soul with lauding the Lord in
thy standing up and thy sitting down, in thy waking and in thy
sleeping. Make the Truth the aim of thine eyes; this is the last
of my speech with thee and--The Peace."--And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Nine Hundred and Seventeenth Night,

She pursued: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
King Jali'ad charged his son with such injunctions and made him
his heir to succeed him in his reign, the Prince said, "O dear
father mine,[FN#140] thou knowest that I have ever been to thee
obedient and thy commandment carrying out, mindful of thine
injunctions and thine approof seeking, for thou hast been to me
the best of fathers; how, then, after thy death, shall I depart
from that which contenteth thee? And now, having fairly ordered
my nurture thou art about to depart from me and I have no power
to bring thee back to me; but, an I be mindful of thy charge, I
shall be blessed therein and great good fortune shall betide me."
Quoth the King, and indeed he was in the last agony of departing
life, "Dear my son, cleave fast unto ten precepts, which if thou
hold, Allah shall profit thee herewith in this world and the next
world, and they are as follows. Whenas thou art wroth, curb thy
wrath; when thou art afflicted, be patient; when thou speakest be
soothfast; when thou promisest, perform; when thou judgest, do
justice; when thou hast power, be merciful; deal generously by
thy governors and lieutenants, forgive thy foes; be lavish of
good offices to thine adversary, and stay thy mischief from him.
Observe also other ten precepts,[FN#141] wherewith Allah shall
profit thee among the people of thy realm: to wit, when thou
dividest, be just; when thou punishest, oppress not; when thou
engagest thyself, fulfil thine engagement; hearken to those that
give thee loyal counsel; when offence is offered to thee, neglect
it; abstain from contention; enjoin thy subjects to the
observance of the divine laws and of praiseworthy practices;
abate ignorance with a sharp sword; withhold thy regard from
treachery and its untruth; and, lastly, do equal justice between
the folk, so they may love thee, great and small, and the wicked
and corrupt of them may fear thee." Then he addressed himself to
the Emirs and Olema which were present when he appointed his son
to be his successor, saying, "Beware ye of transgressing the
commandment of your King and neglecting to hearken to your chief,
for therein lieth ruin for your realm and sundering for your
society and bane for your bodies and perdition for your
possessions, and your foe would exult over you. Well ye wot the
covenant ye made with me, and even thus shall be your covenant
with this youth and the troth which plighted between you and me
shall be also between you and him; wherefore it behoveth you to
give ear unto and obey his commandment, for that in this is the
well being of your conditions. So be ye constant with him anent
that wherein ye were with me and your estate shall prosper and
your affairs be fair; for behold, he hath the Kingship over you
and is the lord of your fortune, and--The Peace." Then the death
agony[FN#142] seized him and his tongue was bridled; so he
pressed his son to him and kissed him and gave thanks unto Allah,
after which his hour came and his soul fared forth. All his
subjects and the people of his court mourned and keened over him
and they shrouded him and buried him with pomp and honour and
reverence, after which they returned with the Prince and clad him
in the royal robes and crowned him with his father's crown and
put the seal-ring on his finger, after seating him on the Throne
of Sovranship. The young King ordered himself towards them, after
his father's fashion of mildness and justice and benevolence, for
a little while till the world waylaid him and entangled him in
its lusts, whereupon, its pleasures made him their prey and he
turned to its gilding and gewgaws, forsaking the engagements
which his father had imposed upon him and casting off his
obedience to him, neglecting the affairs of his reign and
treading a road wherein was his own destruction. The love of
women waxed stark in him and came to such a pass that, whenever
he heard tell of a beauty, he would send for her and take her to
wife; and after this wise, he collected women more in number than
ever had Solomon, David-son, King of the children of Israel. Also
he would shut himself up with a company of them for a month at a
time, during which he went not forth neither enquired of his
realm or its rule nor looked into the grievances of such of his
subjects as complained to him; and if they wrote to him, he
returned them no reply. Now when they saw this and witnessed his
neglect of their affairs and lack of care for their interests and
those of the state, they were assured that ere long some calamity
would betide them and this was grievous to them. So they met
privily one with other and took counsel together blaming their
King, and one of them said to the rest, "Come, let us go to
Shimas, Chief of the Wazirs, and set forth to him our case and
acquaint him with that wherein we are by reason of this King, so
he may admonish him; else, in a little, calamity will dawn upon
us, for the world hath dazzled the Sovran with its delights and
seduced him with its snares." Accordingly, they repaired to
Shimas and said to him, "O wise man and prudent, the world hath
dazed the King with its delights and taken him in its toils, so
that he turneth unto vanity and worketh for the undoing of the
state. Now with the disordering of the state the commons will be
corrupted and our affairs will run to ruin. We see him not for
days and months nor cometh there forth from him any commandment
to us or to the Wazir or any else. We cannot refer aught of our
need to him and he looketh not to the administration of justice
nor taketh thought to the condition of any of his subjects, in
his disregard of them.[FN#143] And behold we are come to acquaint
thee with the truth of things, for that thou art the chiefest and
most accomplished of us and it behoveth not that calamity befal a
land wherein thou dwellest, seeing that thou art most able of any
to amend this King. Wherefore go thou and speak with him; haply
he will hearken to thy word and return unto the way of
Allah."[FN#144] So Shimas arose forthright and repairing to the
palace, foregathered with the first page he could find and said
to him, "Fair my son, I beseech thee ask leave for me to go in to
the King, for I have an affair, concerning which I would fain see
his face and acquaint him therewith and hear what he shall answer
me there anent." Answered the page, "O my lord, by Allah, this
month past hath he given none leave to come in to him, nor have I
all this time looked upon his face; but I will direct thee to one
who shall crave admission for thee. Do thou lay hold of such a
blackamoor slave who standeth at his head and bringeth him food
from the kitchen. When he cometh forth to go to the kitchen, ask
him what seemeth good to thee, for he will do for thee that which
thou desirest." So the Wazir repaired to the door of the kitchen
and sat there a little while, till up came the black and would
have entered the kitchen; but Shimas caught hold of him and said
to him, "Dear my son, I would fain stand in presence of the King
and speak with him of somewhat especially concerneth him; so
prithee, of thy kindness, when he hath ended his undurn-meal and
his temper is at its best, speak for me and get me leave to
approach him, so I may bespeak him of that which shall suit him."
"I hear and obey," answered the black and taking the food carried
it to the King, who ate thereof and his temper was soothed
thereby. Then said the black to him, "Shimas standeth at the door
and craveth admission, so he may acquaint thee with matters that
specially concern thee." At this the King was alarmed and
disquieted and commanded to admit the Minister.--And Shahrazed
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

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