A Traveler's Narrative
page 74
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at him.' (38) Consider the appearance of the Seal of the
Prophets, the King of the Elect (the soul of the worlds be His
sacrifice); after the dawning of the Sun of Truth from the
horizon of the Hijáz what wrongs befell that Manifestation of
the Might of the Lord of Glory at the hands of the people of
error! So heedless were men that they were wont to consider
the vexation of that Holy One as one of the greatest of good
works and as the means of approaching God Most High. For
in the first years the doctors of that age, whether Jews or
Christians, turned aside from that Sun of the Highest Horizon;
and, at the turning aside of those persons, all, whether
humble or noble, girt up their loins to quench the radiance of
that Light of the Horizon of Ideals. The names of all are
recorded in books: amongst them were Wahb ibn Rahíb, Ka'b
ibn Ashraf, `Abdu'lláh [ibn] Ubayy, and the like of these
persons; till at length the matter reached such a point that they
convened a meeting to take counsel as to the shedding of the
most pure blood of that Holy One, as God (glorious is His
mention) hath declared: `And when those who misbelieved
plotted against thee to confine thee, or slay thee, or drive thee
out; and they plotted, and God plotted; and God is the best of
plotters.' (39) So likewise He saith: `And if their aversion be
grievous unto thee, then, if thou art able to seek out a hole
down into the earth, or a ladder up into the sky, that thou
mayest show them a sign--[do so]: but if God pleased He
would assuredly bring them all to the true guidance: be not
therefore one of the ignorant.' (40) By God, the hearts of those
near [unto God] are scorched at the purport of these two
blessed verses; but the like of these matters certainly transmitted
[to Us] are blotted out of sight, and [men] have not reflected,
neither do reflect, what was the reason of the turning aside of
38. Qur'án 15:11; 36:29.
39. Qur'án 8:30.
40. Qur'án 6:35.
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