Part 3

The luminous point whose name is the Self Is the life-spark beneath our dust. By Love it is made more lasting, 325 More living, more burning, more glowing. From Love proceeds the radiance of its being And the development of its unknown possibilities. Its nature gathers fire from Love, Love instructs it to illumine the world. 330 Love fears neither sword nor dagger, Love is not born of water and air and earth. Love makes peace and war in the world, The Fountain of Life is Love’s flashing sword. The hardest rocks are shivered by Love’s glance: 335 Love of God at last becomes wholly God. Learn thou to love, and seek to be loved: Seek an eye like Noah’s, a heart like Job’s! Transmute thy handful of earth into gold, Kiss the threshold of a Perfect Man![37] 340 Like Rúmí, light thy candle And burn Rúm in the fire of Tabríz![38] There is a beloved hidden within thine heart: I will show him to thee, if thou hast eyes to see. His lovers are fairer than the fair, 345 Sweeter and comelier and more beloved. By love of him the heart is made strong And earth rubs shoulders with the Pleiades. The soil of Najd was quickened by his grace And fell into a rapture and rose to the skies.[39] 350 In the Moslem’s heart is the home of Mohammed, All our glory is from the name of Mohammed. Sinai is but an eddy of the dust of his house, The sanctuary of the Ka’ba is his dwelling-place. Eternity is less than a moment of his time, 355 Eternity receives increase from his essence. He slept on a mat of rushes, But the crown of Chosroes was under his people’s feet. He chose the nightly solitude of Mount Hirá, And he founded a state and laws and government. 360 He passed many a night with sleepless eyes In order that the Moslems might sleep on the throne of Persia. In the hour of battle, iron was melted by his sword; In the hour of prayer, tears fell like rain from his eye. When he was called to aid, his sword answered “Amen” 365 And extirpated the race of kings. He instituted new laws in the world, He brought the empires of antiquity to an end. With the key of religion he opened the door of this world: The womb of the world never bore his like. 370 In his sight high and low were one, He sat with his slave at one table. The daughter of the chieftain of Tai was taken prisoner in battle[40] And brought into that exalted presence; Her feet in chains, unveiled, 375 And her neck bowed with shame. When the Prophet saw that the poor girl had no veil, He covered her face with his own veil. We are more naked than that lady of Tai, We are unveiled before the nations of the world. 380 In him is our trust on the Day of Judgement, And in this world too he is our protector. Both his favour and his wrath are entirely a mercy: That is a mercy to his friends and this to his foes. He opened the gates of mercy to his enemies, 385 He gave to Mecca the message, “No blame shall be laid upon you.” We who know not the bonds of country Resemble sight, which is one though it be the light of two eyes. We belong to the Hijáz and China and Persia, Yet we are the dew of one smiling dawn. 390 We are all under the spell of the eye of the cupbearer from Mecca, We are united as wine and cup. He burnt clean away distinctions of lineage, His fire consumed this trash and rubble. We are like a rose with many petals but with one perfume: 395 He is the soul of this society, and he is one. We were the secret concealed in his heart: He spake out fearlessly, and we were revealed. The song of love for him fills my silent reed, A hundred notes throb in my bosom. 400 How shall I tell what devotion he inspires? A block of dry wood wept at parting from him.[41] The Moslem’s being is where he manifests his glory: Many a Sinai springs from the dust on his path. My image was created by his mirror, 405 My dawn rises from the sun of his breast. My repose is a perpetual fever, My evening hotter than the morning of Judgement Day:[42] He is the April cloud and I his garden, My vine is bedewed with his rain. 410 I sowed mine eye in the field of Love And reaped a harvest of delight. “The soil of Medina is sweeter than both worlds: Oh, happy the town where dwells the Beloved!”[43] I am lost in admiration of the style of Mullá Jámí: 415 His verse and prose are a remedy for my immaturity. He has written poetry overflowing with beautiful ideas And has threaded pearls in praise of the Master-- “Mohammed is the preface to the book of the universe: All the world are slaves and he is the Master.” 420 From the wine of Love spring many qualities: Amongst the attributes of Love is blind devotion. The saint of Bistám, who in devotion was unique, Abstained from eating a water-melon.[44] Be a lover constant in devotion to thy beloved, 425 That thou mayst cast thy noose and capture God. Sojourn for a while on the Hirá of the heart,[45] Abandon self and flee to God. Strengthened by God, return to thy self And break the heads of the Lát and Uzzá of sensuality.[46] 430 By the might of Love evoke an army, Reveal thyself on the Fárán of Love,[47] That the Lord of the Ka’ba may show thee favour And interpret to thee the text, “Lo, I will appoint a vicegerent on the earth.”[48]

FOOTNOTES:

[36] For the sense which Iqbal attaches to the word “love,” see the Introduction, section 3. THE EDUCATION OF THE EGO.

[37] A prophet or saint.

[38] See note 26 on l. 95. Tabríz is an allusion to Shams-i Tabríz, the spiritual director of Jalálu’ddín Rúmí.

[39] Najd, the Highlands of Arabia, is celebrated in love-romance. I need only mention Lailá and Majnún.

[40] Her father, Hátim of Tai, is proverbial in the East for his hospitality.

[41] The story of the pulpit that wept when Mohammed descended from it occurs, I think, in the _Masnaví_.

[42] When, according to Mohammedan belief, the sun will rise in the west.

[43] A quotation from the _Masnaví_. The Prophet was buried at Medina.

[44] Báyazíd of Bistám died in A.D. 875. He refused to eat a water-melon, saying he had no assurance that the Prophet had ever tasted that fruit.

[45] Mohammed used to retire to a cave on Mount Hirá, near Mecca, for the purpose of solitary meditation and other ascetic observances.

[46] Lát and Uzzá were goddesses worshipped by the heathen Arabs.

[47] Fárán, name of a mountain in the neighbourhood of Mecca.

[48] Koran, ch. 2, v. 28. In these words, which were addressed to the angels, God foretold the creation of Adam.

IV

_Showing that the Self is weakened by asking._

O thou who hast gathered taxes from lions, 435 Thy need hath caused thee to become a fox in disposition. Thy maladies are the result of indigence: This disease is the source of thy pain. It is robbing thine high thoughts of their dignity And putting out the light of thy noble imagination. 440 Quaff rosy wine from the jar of existence! Snatch thy money from the purse of Time! Like Omar, come down from thy camel![49] Beware of incurring obligations, beware! How long wilt thou sue for office 445 And ride like children on a woman’s back? A nature that fixes its gaze on the sky Becomes debased by receiving benefits. By asking, poverty is made more abject; By begging, the beggar is made poorer. 450 Asking disintegrates the Self And deprives of illumination the Sinai-bush of the Self. Do not scatter thy handful of dust; Like the moon, scrape food from thine own side! Albeit thou art poor and wretched 455 And overwhelmed by affliction, Seek not thy daily bread from the bounty of another, Seek not waves of water from the fountain of the sun, Lest thou be put to shame before the Prophet On the Day when every soul shall be stricken with fear. 460 The moon gets sustenance from the table of the sun And bears the brand of his bounty on her heart. Pray God for courage! Wrestle with Fortune! Do not sully the honour of the pure religion! He who swept the rubbish of idols out of the Ka’ba 465 Said that God loves a man that earns his living. Woe to him that accepts bounty from another’s table And lets his neck be bent with benefits! He hath consumed himself with the lightning of the favours bestowed on him, He hath sold his honour for a paltry coin. 470 Happy the man who thirsting in the sun Does not crave of Khizr a cup of water![50] His brow is not moist with the shame of beggary; He is a man still, not a piece of clay. That noble youth walks under heaven 475 With his head erect like the pine. Are his hands empty? The more is he master of himself. Do his fortunes languish? The more alert is he. The beggar’s wallet is like a boat tossing in waves of fire; Sweet is a little dew gathered by one’s own hand. 480 Be a man of honour, and like the bubble Keep thy cup inverted even in the midst of the sea![51]

FOOTNOTES:

[49] The Caliph Omar was a man of simple habits and self-reliant character.

[50] Khizr is supposed to have drunk of the Fountain of Life.

[51] The bubble is compared to an inverted cup, which of course receives nothing.

V

_Showing that when the Self is strengthened by Love it gains dominion over the outward and inward forces of the universe._

When the Self is made strong by Love Its power rules the whole world. The Heavenly Sage who adorned the sky with stars 485 Plucked these buds from the bough of the Self. Its hand becomes God’s hand, The moon is split by its fingers. It is the arbitrator in all the quarrels of the world, Its command is obeyed by Darius and Jamshíd. 490 I will tell thee a story of Bú Ali,[52] Whose name is renowned in India, Him who sang of the ancient rose-garden And discoursed to us about the lovely rose: The air of his fluttering skirt 495 Made a Paradise of this fire-born country. His young disciple went one day to the bazaar-- The wine of Bú Ali’s discourse had turned his head. The governor of the city was coming along on horseback, His servant and staff-bearer rode beside him. 500 The forerunner shouted, “O senseless one, Do not get in the way of the governor’s escort!” But the dervish walked on with drooping head, Sunk in the sea of his own thoughts. The staff-bearer, drunken with pride, 505 Broke his staff on the head of the dervish, Who stepped painfully out of the governor’s way, Sad and sorry, with a heavy heart. He came to Bú Ali and complained And released the tears from his eyes. 510 Like lightning that falls on mountains, The Sheikh poured forth a fiery torrent of speech. He let loose from his soul a strange fire, He gave an order to his secretary: “Take thy pen and write a letter 515 From a dervish to a sultan! Say, ‘Thy governor has broken my servant’s head; He has cast burning coals on his own life. Arrest this wicked governor, Or else I will bestow thy kingdom on another.” 520 The letter of the saint who had access to God Caused the monarch to tremble in every limb. His body was filled with aches, He grew as pale as the evening sun. He sought out a handcuff for the governor 525 And entreated Bú Ali to pardon this offence. Khusrau, the sweet-voiced eloquent poet,[53] Whose harmonies flow from the creative mind And whose genius hath the soft brilliance of moonlight, Was chosen to be the king’s ambassador. 530 When he entered Bú Ali’s presence and played his lute, His song melted the fakir’s soul like glass. One strain of poesy bought the grace Of a majesty that was firm as a mountain. Do not wound the hearts of dervishes, 535 Do not throw thyself into burning fire!

FOOTNOTES:

[52] Sheikh Sharafu’ddín of Pánípat, who is better known as Bú Ali Qalandar, was a great saint. He died about A.D. 1325.

[53] Amír Khusrau of Delhi, the most celebrated of the Persian poets of India.

VI

_A tale of which the moral is that negation of the Self is a doctrine invented by the subject races of mankind in order that by this means they may sap and weaken the character of their rulers._

Hast thou heard that in the time of old The sheep dwelling in a certain pasture So increased and multiplied That they feared no enemy? 540 At last, from the malice of Fate, Their breasts were smitten by a shaft of calamity. The tigers sprang forth from the jungle And rushed upon the sheepfold. Conquest and dominion are signs of strength, 545 Victory is the manifestation of strength. Those fierce tigers beat the drum of sovereignty, They deprived the sheep of freedom. Forasmuch as tigers must have their prey, That meadow was crimsoned with the blood of the sheep. 550 One of the sheep which was clever and acute, Old in years, cunning as a weather-beaten wolf, Being grieved at the fate of his fellows And sorely vexed by the violence of the tigers, Made complaint of the course of Destiny 555 And sought by craft to restore his fortunes. The weak man, in order to preserve himself, Seeks devices from skilled intelligence. In slavery, for the sake of repelling harm, The power of scheming becomes quickened, 560 And when the madness of revenge gains hold, The mind of the slave meditates rebellion. “Ours is a hard knot,” said this sheep to himself, “The ocean of our griefs hath no shore. By force we sheep cannot escape from the tiger: 565 Our legs are silver, his paws are steel. ‘Tis not possible, however much one exhorts and counsels, To create in a sheep the disposition of a wolf. But to make the furious tiger a sheep--that is possible; To make him unmindful of his nature--that is possible.” 570 He became as a prophet inspired, And began to preach to the bloodthirsty tigers. He cried out, “O ye insolent liars, Who wot not of a day of ill luck that shall continue for ever![54] I am possessed of spiritual power, 575 I am an apostle sent by God for the tigers. I come as a light for the eye that is dark, I come to establish laws and give commandments. Repent of your blameworthy deeds! O plotters of evil, bethink yourselves of good! 580 Whoso is violent and strong is miserable: Life’s solidity depends on self-denial. The spirit of the righteous is fed by fodder: The vegetarian is pleasing unto God. The sharpness of your teeth brings disgrace upon you 585 And makes the eye of your perception blind. Paradise is for the weak alone, Strength is but a means to perdition. It is wicked to seek greatness and glory, Penury is sweeter than princedom. 590 Lightning does not threaten the corn-seed: If the seed become a stack, it is unwise. If you are sensible, you will be a mote of sand, not a Sahara, So that you may enjoy the sunbeams. O thou that delightest in the slaughter of sheep, 595 Slay thy self, and thou wilt have honour! Life is rendered unstable By violence, oppression, revenge, and exercise of power. Though trodden underfoot, the grass grows up time after time And washes the sleep of death from its eye again and again. 600 Forget thy self, if thou art wise! If thou dost not forget thy self, thou art mad. Close thine eyes, close thine ears, close thy lips,[55] That thy thought may reach the lofty sky! This pasturage of the world is naught, naught: 605 O fool, do not torment thyself for a phantom!” The tiger-tribe was exhausted by hard struggles, They had set their hearts on enjoyment of luxury. This soporific advice pleased them, In their stupidity they swallowed the charm of the sheep. 610 He that used to make sheep his prey Now embraced a sheep’s religion. The tigers took kindly to a diet of fodder: At length their tigerish nature was broken. The fodder blunted their teeth 615 And put out the awful flashings of their eyes. By degrees courage ebbed from their breasts, The sheen departed from the mirror. That frenzy of uttermost exertion remained not, That craving after action dwelt in their hearts no more. 620 They lost the power of ruling and the resolution to be independent, They lost reputation, prestige, and fortune. Their paws that were as iron became strengthless; Their souls died and their bodies became tombs. Bodily strength diminished while spiritual fear increased: 625 Spiritual fear robbed them of courage. Lack of courage produced a hundred diseases-- Poverty, pusillanimity, lowmindedness. The wakeful tiger was lulled to slumber by the sheep’s charm: He called his decline Moral Culture. 630

FOOTNOTES:

[54] These expressions are borrowed from the Koran.

[55] Quoted from the _Masnaví_.

VII

_To the effect that Plato, whose thought has deeply influenced the mysticism and literature of Islam, followed the sheep’s doctrine, and that we must be on our guard against his theories._[56]

Plato, the prime ascetic and sage, Was one of that ancient flock of sheep. His Pegasus went astray in the darkness of philosophy And galloped over the mountains of Being. He was so fascinated by the Ideal 635 That he made head, eye, and ear of no account. “To die,” said he, “is the secret of Life: The candle is glorified by being put out.” He dominates our thinking, His cup sends us to sleep and takes the world away from us. 640 He is a sheep in man’s clothing, The soul of the Súfí bows to his authority. He soared with his intellect to the highest heaven, He called the world of phenomena a myth. ‘Twas his work to dissolve the structure of Life 645 And cut the bough of Life’s fair tree asunder. The thought of Plato regarded loss as profit, His philosophy declared that being is not-being. His nature drowsed and created a dream, His mind’s eye created a mirage. 650 Since he was without any taste for action, His soul was enraptured by the non-existent. He disbelieved in the material universe And became the creator of invisible Ideas. Sweet is the world of phenomena to the living spirit, 655 Dear is the world of Ideas to the dead spirit: Its gazelles have no grace of movement, Its partridges are denied the pleasure of walking daintily. Its dewdrops are unable to quiver, Its birds have no breath in their breasts, 660 Its seed does not desire to grow, Its moths do not know how to flutter. Our philosopher had no remedy but flight: He could not endure the noise of this world. He set his heart on the glow of a quenched flame 665 And depicted a world steeped in opium. He spread his wings towards the sky And never came down to his nest again. His phantasy is sunk in the jar of heaven: I know not whether it is the dregs or the bricks. [57] 670 The peoples were poisoned by his intoxication: He slumbered and took no delight in deeds.

FOOTNOTES:

[56] The direct influence of Platonism on Moslem thought has been comparatively slight. When the Moslems began to study Greek philosophy, they turned to Aristotle. The genuine writings of Aristotle, however, were not accessible to them. They studied translations of books passing under his name, which were the work of Neoplatonists, so that what they believed to be Aristotelian doctrine was in fact the philosophy of Plotinus, Proclus, and the later Neoplatonic school. Indirectly, therefore, Plato has profoundly influenced the intellectual and spiritual development of Islam and may be called, if not the father of Mohammedan mysticism, at any rate its presiding genius.

[57] _I.e._ it is worthless in either case. The egg-shaped wine-jar is supported by bricks in order to keep it in an upright position.

VIII

_Concerning the true nature of poetry and the reform of Islamic literature._