68 - The
Secret Message
"O
Suspicious King, This story relates that one of the oldest kings, once
thought to go on a ride in his state with his courtiers to show his
richness. So he ordered his servants to make preparation for this ride and
asked one to give him the costliest suit to wear, the finest horse to
ride, and the costliest of his jewelry to wear. He then rode on the horse
glorying in his pride.
And
Iblis the Genie came to him, laid his hand upon his nose, blew into his
nostrils and he magnified and glorified himself more than ever and said to
himself - "Who among men is like me?" And he wouldn't look at
any man. Presently a man stood in front of him, clad in torn clothes. He
saluted him, but he did not reply, so he held his horse's bridle. The King
cried - "Keep off your hand from my horse. Do you knew whose rein it is you are
holding?" He said - "I need you." The King said -
"Wait till I come back, then I will attend to you." The man said
- "It is a secret message and I will tell you only in your ear."
So the King bowed his head to hear him, he said - "I am the Angel of
Death and I have come to take your soul."
The
King replied - "Just be patient while I return to my house and take
leave of my people and children and neighbors and wife." The Angel
said - "By no means. You will never return to, nor you will look at them
again, because your life term is over." So saying he took the soul of
the King and departed. The King fell from his horse dead.
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Then
the Angel of Death went to a devotee and saluted him. He returned his
salute. The Angel said - "I have a need of you which must be kept
secret." The devotee said - "Welcome. I was waiting for your
arrival, because long has been your absence from me who has longed for
you." The Angel said - "If you have any business, you may
complete it." The devotee answered - "There cannot be anything
more important than meeting with my Lord." The Angel asked -
"How would you like me to take your soul. I am asked to take it as
you wish and choose." He replied - "Let me make the Wazoo
ablution and pray, and I prostrate myself, then take my soul while my body
is on the ground."
So the
devote prayed and the Angel took his soul while he was in the position of
prostration and transported it to the place of mercy and forgiveness.
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And
there is another tale of a certain King who had a heap of gold coins
beyond count and gathered all other precious things. He had a magnificent
palace also in which there were strong doors, and windows and appointed
many guards and soldiers and doorkeepers, and servants to look after it.
One
day he got ready in his very good suit to eat very good food and sat to
eat it. He had invited his household companions and relations also to eat
that food. He thought "You have gathered to eat such delicious food and
people, now you enjoy it in your leisure." That a man clad in torn
clothes knocked with the door-ring so loud and terrible that the whole
palace shook as if it had shaken with earthquake.
The
servants rushed to the door and found a beggar type man on the door. They
asked him - "What manner of unmannerly fashion is this? Wait till the
King gives you of what is left." The beggar said - "Ask your
King to come out and speak with me, for I have a pressing need and a
matter to be listened to." The servants asked - "Who are you who
is ordering our King like this?" But he said - "Just tell this."
So
they went in and told his message to the King. The King asked them -
"Didn't you threaten him?" That another knock came on the door,
louder than the first one. So the servants rushed at him to slay him, but
he said - "Be in your limit, because I am the Angel of the Death. The
King asked them to tell that man that he should seek his substitute and
leave him from this case.
But
the Angel answered - "I will take no substitute, and I have come out
only because of you to cause separation from your goods you have gathered
together and the riches you have heaped around." As the King heard
this he wept and groaned saying - "Allaah, Curse the treasure which
has deluded me and diverted me from the service of my Lord. See, today I
go empty-handed and leave it to my enemies." At this Allaah
caused the Treasure to speak and it said - "Why do you curse me.
Curse yourself, because Allaah created you and me both from the dust and
gave me in your hand. You gave alms with me to poor and needy and
sick."
Then
the Angel took the King's soul as he sat on his throne, before he ate the
food and he fell down dead. Allaah says - "While they were rejoicing
for that which has been given to them, we suddenly hold them, and they
are caught in despair."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And
they tell another tale of a King from the King of the Bau Israel, who sat
one day upon his throne, that he saw a man of forbidding look coming to
him through the main door of the hall. His look terrified him, he sprang
from his throne and asked him - "Who are you, and who permitted you to come
into my house, and who has invited you to enter my house?" The
stranger said - "The Lord of the House has sent me to you. No
doorkeeper can stop me coming in, because I am not the servant of any Sultaan. I am He from whom no King is at rest, nor can anyone escape from
my grasp. I am the Destroyer of the Delights." When the King heard
this a creep ran into his body, and he fell into a swoon. As he came to
himself, he asked - "Are you the Angel of Death?"
"Yes."
The
King said - "I beg you to give me one single day that I may pray
pardon of my sins and ask His forgiveness and restore my treasure to their
rightful owners so that I am not burdened with the misery of punishment
for it." Replied the Angel - "Well, Well, This may be in no way.
How can I give you another day when the days of your life are counted,
your breaths are counted and your moments are fixed and written."
The
King asked - "OK, Give me an hour." But the Angel of Death said
- "The hour was in the account and has sped up and fled and you have
not thought about it, now your breaths are complete, and now remains only
one breath." The King asked - "Who will be with me in my
tomb?" The Angel said - "Nobody will be with you but your works,
good or evil." The King said - "I have no works." Said the
Angel - "Then doubtlessly, your long home will be in the Hell-fire
and your Destiny will be the wrath of the Almighty."
Then
he seized the soul of the King and the King fell off his throne and
dropped on the earth dead. And everybody started weeping and crying.
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