Fourth Assembly (Khwan-Pur-Nemat)

Qazi Shah, the son of Qazi Ashrafuddin's brother, an expounder of the Law, was present. He said that a dervish had told him that he had recited the Quran completely seventy times while circumambulating the Ka'ba. He was asked: With what words and meaning? He replied: With words, meaning and letters. Afterwards he enquired how it could be possible in letters, for this did not stand to reason.

The Venerable Master replied: It so happens that this group, as they follow their own path, attain a particular stage wherein human qualities leave them completely and they are endowed with an angelic disposition. When this happens, they are enabled to tackle each task with angelic power. So it is that the seventy recitals of the Quran by that dervish took place. At all events, it is well known that a work which would take a man a day to do can be done by an angel in the twinkling of an eye. He added that it is said that there was a cell. A sage entered it through a closed door. This also took place through this angelic power. For example, when an angel comes to a door, it does not have to make use of it. The same thing applies to such a person. It is also related of some that they entered fire but were not at all burnt. They too possessed angelic power, for angels are also unscathed by fire. At this stage it is said: 'This man has passed beyond the world of humanity.

One of those present said: Do they call the world of humanity the world of human nature?¹

He replied, Yes.

Afterwards he said: The sages have composed volumes in which they have described these powers. He related a story in this connection. Khwaja Ahmad Surkh used to tell this story. 'There is a mosque in Baghdad. I arrived there. I heard that Khwaja Ahmad Ghazali had performed a forty-day retreat

there. During that retreat forty dates were brought to him daily. He used to break his fast with them each day. He also took forty quires of blank paper, an inkpot and a pen, and entered a cell and was busily engaged in writing. When the forty days were over, the forty blank quires of paper had been filled with writing. He brought them outside. Afterwards he had them transcribed. It is not within the power of man to fill forty quires with writing in forty days. This too could not have occurred except through that power.

A little later, in praise of Khwaja Ahmad Ghazali, he related the following story: He was in Wasit for some time, and, in fact, he lies buried there. On one occasion the Caliph sent him this royal command: 'The people of Baghdad are in need of your learning. A suitable madrasa and hospice have been provided. If it is possible, come to Baghdad, display your learning so that the people may benefit from your scholarship. Khwaja Ahmad replied in his own words in a befitting manner. He wrote: 'When I reached Jerusalem, I made these three vows: firstly, I would not accept anything from kings; secondly, I would not fight with anyone; and thirdly, I would not go to the doors of kings. If I were to come there, I would not have any goods or property to provide for myself. I would be forced, out of necessity, to accept things from you. In this fashion, I would break my vows. In addition to this, when I would come and take my seat in the college, I would be obliged to teach, and my teaching, nowadays, has changed its color. The theologians of Baghdad would not stand for it. They would fall to and dispute it. Thus, I would necessarily be drawn into conflict with them and break yet another of my vows. And if I were there, I would have to go to your door and thus this vow of mine would also be broken. Imagine that Ghazali has arrived in Baghdad and taught in the college and died. It would be necessary to search for another lecturer. Do that right now.

I am but a fraud, a drunkard and a tavern-goer.

Ask nothing more of what has happened-it is past.

Seek nothing intelligent from me, a madman,

Nor lawful deeds from one of tainted faith.

After a while, he said: Nowadays very few such sages

remain in that land. So many travelers arrive, and people are eager to hear from them something about such great men. They have nothing to say. A group of distracted ones had arrived here once. Their leader was saying: These three sages are left. One, Alauddin; the second Sheikh Sharfuddin, the eldest brother of Malik-Fariduddin, and the third, another dervish. All three great men have died. He recited the following couplet:

The company of good men has departed from the world: The beehive has turned into a hornet's nest.

He added: This Alauddin was the prime minister of the king. He had resigned his post and became engrossed in God's work. At length, he was granted revelations and attained sainthood.

Qazi Shah, the son of Qazi Ashrafuddin's brother, an expounder of the Law, was present. He said that a dervish had told him that he had recited the Quran completely seventy times while circumambulating the Ka'ba. He was asked: With what words and meaning? He replied: With words, meaning and letters. Afterwards he enquired how it could be possible in letters, for this did not stand to reason.

The Venerable Master replied: It so happens that this group, as they follow their own path, attain a particular stage wherein human qualities leave them completely and they are endowed with an angelic disposition. When this happens, they are enabled to tackle each task with angelic power. So it is that the seventy recitals of the Quran by that dervish took place. At all events, it is well known that a work which would take a man a day to do can be done by an angel in the twinkling of an eye. He added that it is said that there was a cell. A sage entered it through a closed door. This also took place through this angelic power. For example, when an angel comes to a door, it does not have to make use of it. The same thing applies to such a person. It is also related of some that they entered fire but were not at all burnt. They too possessed angelic power, for angels are also unscathed by fire. At this stage it is said: 'This man has passed beyond the world of humanity.

One of those present said: Do they call the world of humanity the world of human nature?¹

He replied, Yes.

Afterwards he said: The sages have composed volumes in which they have described these powers. He related a story in this connection. Khwaja Ahmad Surkh used to tell this story. 'There is a mosque in Baghdad. I arrived there. I heard that Khwaja Ahmad Ghazali had performed a forty-day retreat

there. During that retreat forty dates were brought to him daily. He used to break his fast with them each day. He also took forty quires of blank paper, an inkpot and a pen, and entered a cell and was busily engaged in writing. When the forty days were over, the forty blank quires of paper had been filled with writing. He brought them outside. Afterwards he had them transcribed. It is not within the power of man to fill forty quires with writing in forty days. This too could not have occurred except through that power.

A little later, in praise of Khwaja Ahmad Ghazali, he related the following story: He was in Wasit for some time, and, in fact, he lies buried there. On one occasion the Caliph sent him this royal command: 'The people of Baghdad are in need of your learning. A suitable madrasa and hospice have been provided. If it is possible, come to Baghdad, display your learning so that the people may benefit from your scholarship. Khwaja Ahmad replied in his own words in a befitting manner. He wrote: 'When I reached Jerusalem, I made these three vows: firstly, I would not accept anything from kings; secondly, I would not fight with anyone; and thirdly, I would not go to the doors of kings. If I were to come there, I would not have any goods or property to provide for myself. I would be forced, out of necessity, to accept things from you. In this fashion, I would break my vows. In addition to this, when I would come and take my seat in the college, I would be obliged to teach, and my teaching, nowadays, has changed its color. The theologians of Baghdad would not stand for it. They would fall to and dispute it. Thus, I would necessarily be drawn into conflict with them and break yet another of my vows. And if I were there, I would have to go to your door and thus this vow of mine would also be broken. Imagine that Ghazali has arrived in Baghdad and taught in the college and died. It would be necessary to search for another lecturer. Do that right now.

I am but a fraud, a drunkard and a tavern-goer.

Ask nothing more of what has happened-it is past.

Seek nothing intelligent from me, a madman,

Nor lawful deeds from one of tainted faith.

After a while, he said: Nowadays very few such sages

remain in that land. So many travelers arrive, and people are eager to hear from them something about such great men. They have nothing to say. A group of distracted ones had arrived here once. Their leader was saying: These three sages are left. One, Alauddin; the second Sheikh Sharfuddin, the eldest brother of Malik-Fariduddin, and the third, another dervish. All three great men have died. He recited the following couplet:

The company of good men has departed from the world: The beehive has turned into a hornet's nest.

He added: This Alauddin was the prime minister of the king. He had resigned his post and became engrossed in God's work. At length, he was granted revelations and attained sainthood.