A Thousand Yearnings

by Ralph Russell

  A Slave of Khusrau [king of Iran]

  A slave came into Khusrau’s presence carrying a dish of food, but he felt in such awe of him that his hands trembled and he spilt some of it. Khusrau was angry and gave orders that he should be put to death. At this the slave emptied the whole dish into Khusrau’s lap. Khusrau asked him,‘Why have you done that?’ He replied,‘O king,mine was a trifling fault,not one that deserved a death sentence. Now I deserve to die. If you had put me to death before, people would have called you cruel. Now no one will.’ Khusrau pardoned him.

  The Creation of Adam and the Loss of Paradise

  [‘Khalifa’ is usually translated as ‘Vicegerent’—see note in introduction to this section.

  The ‘Kaba’ is the building in Mecca which is the focus of Islamic Pilgrimage.

  Gabriel, Michael and others in this story are angels, several of whom are seen as having specific functions: Gabriel is often God’s messenger, Israfil will blow the trumpet on Judgement Day, Azrail is the angel of death. When mentioning the names of angels, prophets, and revered figures in the tradition of Islam, usually some phrase such as ‘Peace be upon him’ is added.

  Iblis is also called Shaitan (Satan), and the two names are used interchangeably.]

  Word went forth from God:‘Angels, I shall create a Khalifa upon the earth.’The angels said,‘Will You place on earth one who will fill it with tumult and bloodshed?—when we are ever speaking of You and declaring Your goodness and remembering Your holiness?’ God replied,‘I know that which you do not know.’ Then the Lord of the Worlds commanded Gabriel (on whom be peace) to bring a handful of soil from the earth. At God’s command Gabriel (on whom be peace) at once descended from the height of heaven upon the earth and reached that place where the Kaba now stands. He went to take up a handful of soil, but the earth said,‘I adjure you by God not to take soil from me; for God will create his vicegerent from it, and his progeny will be sinful and wicked and will cause great distress...’ Gabriel (on whom be peace) heard, and gave up his intention, and returned as he had come. And Michael and Israfil too (on whom be peace) could not perform this task.

  Then God sent Azrail. And the earth would have forbidden him too, but Azrail rejected its plea and said,‘He by Whom you adjure me is He by whose command I have come. I will not disobey Him and will surely take your soil back to Him.’And he stretched out his hand and took a handful of soil and returned to the world above and said, ‘Lord, you are all-knowing and all-seeing, and I have brought this to You.’Then Almighty God said to him,‘Azrail, from this soil I shall make one who shall be my vicegerent on earth, and [when the time comes for Me] to take his soul it is you whom I shall appoint to do this task.’Then at God’s command the angels placed that handful of soil between Talf and Mecca. The rain of God’s mercy rained upon it and in two years it became clay, and in the fourth year it hardened and in the sixth year it became potters’ clay and in the eighth year it assumed the form of Adam.

  One day Iblis with a train of seventy thousand angels came to see the form of Adam lying on the ground, and looked down upon it with contempt.

  Iblis tries to interfere in Adam’s creation, but his efforts are brought to nothing. The elaborate stage-by-stage process of putting life into Adam is then described:

  Adam sneezed and at once, by God’s inspiration, cried out ‘al hamd ul illah’* the response of which, prescribed by God was ‘yar hamuk ullah’.†And that is why when someone sneezes and says ‘al hamd ul illah’ those who hear must respond ‘yar hamuk ullah’.

  When Adam rose up from the ground, then by God’s command he put on a crown of gold and a robe and went and sat on a throne, a throne that extended for forty miles in Paradise, and was studded with gold and jewels. Then God commanded all the angels to bow down before Adam—this was to honour him, not to worship him—and all did so except Iblis. He was proud, and would not bow down, and refused God’s command. When they raised their heads again they saw that Iblis was standing there and had not bowed down. Thereupon they again bowed down. The first bowing down was a bow of obedience, and the second a bow of thanksgiving.

  Then the Lord of the Worlds said to Iblis, ‘How is it that you refused to bow down to that which my two hands have created?’ Iblis said,‘I am better than him, because You made me of fire and him of clay. Besides, I bow down to You. How can I bow to any other?’Then Almighty God said,‘Leave this! I reject you and My curse is upon you until Judgement Day.’ (Divines differ over the interpretation of ‘Leave this!’. Some say it means ‘Abandon the true faith’ while others think it means ‘Leave your angelic form and assume the form of Iblis.’) Whereupon by God’s wrath his form changed and his eyes descended to his chest. Then accursed Satan opened his mouth and said,‘O Cherisher of all,You have forsaken and rejected me. And it is because of Adam that this has befallen me…. Give me leave until the dead come to life that I may enter into the flesh and bones and veins of men and be hidden from their sight.’And God gave him leave. Satan said,‘I swear by Your honour that I will lead all men astray except your chosen ones.’ And God said,‘This is the truth,and I speak nothing but the truth;I shall fill hell with you and with all those who follow your path.’

  Then by God’s command the angels took Adam’s throne and set it down in Paradise, and God bestowed upon him all manner of good things. But in spite of this Adam was not happy and not at peace, because for his peace and comfort every creature needs the fellowship of one of his kind. So God sent him to sleep, a sleep in which he was neither fully asleep nor fully awake, and had Gabriel take a bone from his left side. He felt neither pain nor distress. (If he had, men would never have loved women as they do.) And from this bone he made Eve [in Islam: Hava]...When Adam (on whom be peace) awoke and saw her he wanted to lay hands upon her at once, but the voice of God spoke:‘Adam, mind you do not touch her! Until you are married to her she is forbidden to you.’

  At Adam’s request God then married them and arranged for all the other observances which characterize a Muslim marriage. God then allowed them all pleasures, but forbade them to go near a particular tree.

  Of this tree it is related that its roots were of silver and its branches of gold and its leaves of green emerald. God said to Adam, ‘I have presented this tree to you, but do not eat its fruit.’Adam said, ‘Oh God, when you have given it to me why do you forbid me to eat from it?’ God replied,‘You are a guest in my house. This is your tree. It is out of the question that while you are my guest you should eat anything of your own.’

  Adam then heard voices, one addressing him and one addressing wheat (which, it appears, is the fruit of the beautiful tree). The voice that spoke to Adam urged him to be resolute in observing God’s command, and the one that spoke to the wheat urged it not to flag in its efforts to tempt Adam, and suggested that it call Satan to its aid. Fate asked God why He was permitting all this, and God replied that it was in accordance with a secret purpose.

  They say that there are four things which are not there in Paradise—hunger, thirst, nakedness and the excessive heat of the sun.

  When Adam saw that all the gates of Paradise were closed he felt freed from all fear.‘Satan is out there in the world and I am here in Paradise. I need not worry about his wiles.’ One day accursed Iblis decided that he would get to Adam in Paradise. He knew three of the great names of God. Reciting these, he traversed the seven skies and arrived at the gates of Paradise. Finding them closed he began to think up tricks that would get him in. It so happened that there was a peacock sitting on the battlement of Paradise. He saw that here was this person reciting the great name. The peacock said,‘Who are you?’ He replied, I am one of the angels of Almighty God.’The peacock said,‘Why are you sitting there?’ Satan said,‘I can see Paradise, and I want to go in.’ The peacock said, ‘I have been commanded by God that as long as Adam is in Paradise I am not to let anyone in.’ Satan said,‘If you’ll take me in I’ll teach you a prayer—a prayer which if anyone says and acts according to
, he will get three boons: he will not grow old; he will not die; and he will live in Paradise for ever.’ Iblis recited this prayer, and both left the battlements and went to the gate of Paradise, where the peacock told the snake all that had happened. The moment the snake heard it he was afraid. He closed the gates, poked his head out, and asked Iblis, ‘Who are you? And where have you come from to sit here and recite the great name?’ He said,‘I am one of the angels of Almighty God.’The snake said,‘Teach me that prayer.’ Satan said,‘I will on condition that you take me into Paradise.’The snake said, I have been commanded by God that as long as Adam is in Paradise I am not to let anyone in.’ Iblis said, I will not set foot in Paradise. I’ll stay in your mouth and not put a foot outside it.’ Then the snake opened its mouth wide and accursed Iblis stepped into it, and the snake took him into Paradise and closed the gates of Paradise behind them.

  Then Satan said, ‘Take me to the tree that God has forbidden Adam to eat of.’ When he reached the tree he began to weep hypocritically, there inside the snake’s mouth. He was the first person who ever wept hypocritically. All the houris and ghilmans,* hearing the sound of weeping, gathered around. They said,‘None of us has ever heard the sound of weeping coming from a snake’s mouth before,’ and Eve asked the snake, ‘Why are you weeping?’ Satan replied,‘I am weeping because Almighty God will expel you from Paradise because He has forbidden you to eat the fruit of this tree; yet whoever eats the fruit of this tree will stay in Paradise and not be expelled.’ Satan said to Adam,‘Adam, shall I show you the tree which will give you eternal life and your kingdom will not fail?’And he said,‘I swear by God that I tell you truly. I do not seek to harm you and am advising you for your own good.’ So Adam fell, a prey to this deception. The first person who ever swore a false oath was this accursed Satan. Eve was convinced by this oath that he was speaking the truth. She fell into his snare and reaching out her hand plucked three grains of wheat from the tree. One she ate herself and two she brought to Adam. Muaz Razi Ullah, in his commentary, has said that when she plucked these ears of wheat, the place from which she had plucked them turned red, and a drop of blood dripped from it. Then Almighty God swore by Himself and said, ‘Until the Last Day I shall befoul your daughters with blood once a month and you and they shall make reparation to this my tree in this way.’

  Then Adam went and sat on his throne; and the wheat grains approached him of their own accord. Adam smelt their sweet smell and said to his throne,‘Take and set me down far away from here, for Almighty God has forbidden me to eat this food.’The throne took him away to a distance of a twelve thousand years’ journey. When he stepped down from the throne the grains were there too. In short no matter where Adam went, the grains went too. Then one of the grains said,‘Adam, what God has fated to happen will come to pass. Go to a distance of a journey of a million years, but you cannot escape.’ Then Eve took the two grains of wheat to Adam. Adam said, ‘What is it?’ Eve said, ‘It is the fruit of the tree that God forbade us to eat. I have eaten one grain, and I have brought two for you.’ Adam said, ‘What does it taste like?’ She said, ‘Sweet and delicious.’ He said, ‘I will not eat it. I have made covenant with God not to eat the fruit of that tree.’

  Eve was very disappointed that she could not persuade Adam to eat. So she went and fetched a bowl of wine and gave it him to drink. Adam lost his senses and took and ate the two grains and broke his convenant. Before the two grains had gone down his throat the crown flew from his head and he fell off his throne, and their private parts were uncovered. They tried to pluck leaves to cover them. All the trees they went to refused them, until they went to the fig tree, and it lowered its head and said, ‘Take leaves from me and cover your genitals.’And they did so. And they took leaves to cover their genitals from the ud* tree too. And the voice of God came and said,‘Fig tree, you have been kind to them; I have banished evil and decay from you and made you so that any who eats your fruit seventy times will feel fresh delight each time.’And He addressed the ud and said,‘I have endeared you more than any other to all so that when they put you on the fire they may smell your fragrance.’

  Then the dwellers in paradise began to cry out,‘Adam and Eve have both sinned in the sight of God and are roaming like madmen around Paradise.’ God summoned them three times, but they did not respond. Then Gabriel came to them and said, ‘Adam, your Lord is calling you.’And Adam said,‘I stand before You. O Lord, we feel shame before you.’

  God reminded them of His warning. And they responded weeping.

  And God said, ‘You are to live on earth, and you will work there, and live and die there, and be taken away from there.’Then God commanded Gabriel to expel Adam and Eve and the snake and Satan and the peacock from Paradise and place them in the world. And Gabriel went to Adam and told him. Adam as soon as he heard it became agitated and began to weep copiously at his banishment from Paradise. Eventually he took a piece of wood from there to use as a toothstick, and this stick was handed down in his family from generation to generation until it became the staff of Moses. Then Adam and Eve and the peacock and the shake and Satan were all five expelled from Paradise. First Adam was set down on Sarandip [Sri Lanka], which is an island belonging to India; and Eve was set down in Khurasan and the peacock in Sistan and the snake in Isfahan and Satan (curses be upon him) on the mountain of Damawand [all in Central Asia]. At that time the snake had four legs, like a camel. Because of what had happened Almighty God took them from it so that it should crawl on its belly in the dust and eat there. And when Adam was set down in Sarandip he wept over his sin for forty years or, according to another tradition, three hundred years, so that rivers of his tears began to flow, and on their banks grew dates and cloves and nutmeg. And from Eve’s tears henna and indigo and collyrium were created, and from the teardrops that fell into the sea pearls were made, so that these might be made into jewellery for her girls.

  One day Gabriel came to Adam and said, ‘Adam, before you die perform the Pilgrimage to Mecca.’At the mention of his death he felt afraid. He at once rose up and determined to perform the Pilgrimage. At every place where his footsteps fell a village or a settlement came into being. And wherever he rested after a day’s journey, the blessing of his footsteps caused a town to come into being. And some learned divines say that thirty paces brought Adam to Mecca… When Adam sat down to rest he saw Eve coming from the direction of Jeddah. And he rose up and took her in his arms.

  * Praise be to God.

  †‘God have mercy on you’. Like most religious exclamations, these are phrases in the language of the Quran.

  * Houri is a beautiful woman, and ghilman a beautiful boy. Both serve the faithful in paradise.

  * Ud: Generally translated as aloes-wood. It makes a pleasant smell when it burns.

  Sikandar, Khizar and the Water of Life

  Sikandar determined to march towards the East. He enquired of wise and learned men, ‘Have you read in any books what thing confers long life?’ One of them replied, ‘Refuge of the World, I have read in Adam’s testament that Exalted God has created in the darkness of the mountains of Qaf a spring of the Water of Life, whose water is whiter than milk and colder than ice and sweeter than honey and more bland than butter and more fragrant than musk. Whosoever shall drink it shall not die, and shall live on till Judgement Day. And the name of this water is the Water of Life.’

  Then Sikandar desired to drink the Water of Life. He said to his wise men, ‘Tell me, which steed is the swiftest and most alert among animals?’They said,‘An Arab mare that has not born a foal.’ Then he took a thousand horsemen, mounted on picked Arab mares, and appointed Khizar as the guide of the whole force. Then he said,‘When we go into the darkness surely no man will be able to find his neighbour. What will happen then?’The wise men said,‘If in Your Majesty’s court there be a regal ruby or pearl, take it along; when this stage comes we shall make our way by its light.’ Then he took from his royal treasury a gem, the Lamp of Night, and entrusted
it to Khizar, and gave his throne and crown and kingdom into the charge of a wise and prudent man in his service, and, promising to return in twelve years, departed, and taking provision of food and drink, set out for the darkness of Qaf in search of the Water of Life.

  When they came to the mountains of Qaf they lost their way, and wandered there for a year; and Khizar lost contact with the armies and found himself in another region of darkness. He took the gem, the Lamp of Night, from his pocket and set it on the ground, and its light dispelled the darkness. By the grace and favour of Allah he came upon the spring of the Water of Life. He washed his face and hands in it, and drank it and rendered thanks to God. Thus did Khizar gain eternal life. Then, returning from there, he came to another place of darkness. Again he took out the gem, the Lamp of Night, and set it on the ground. Its radiance shone forth, and all the armies that had been lost in the darkness came and gathered around him.

  Sikandar had told his armies, ‘Stay here. I will go forward to see a strange and wonderful sight, and will return.’ So saying he went forward; and there came in sight a balcony of such kind that its four Walls were suspended in the air. In it he saw many birds and winged creatures. And the birds said to him, ‘Why have you left your habitation and come to this darkness?’ He said, ‘I have come to drink the Water of Life.’Then the one of them that was king of the birds said,‘Sikandar, the time has now come when all men will put on clothing of silk, and build fine houses, and, setting their hearts on Worldly things, will give themselves up to play and pastime and pleasure and luxury.’ So saying, it flapped its wings, and what should Sikandar see but that the whole balcony was now all made of gems. Then it said,‘Sikandar, the time has come for the sounding of the lute and the tabor.’ So saying it again flapped his wings, and what should he see but that the whole balcony was now made of rubies and garnets. Seeing this he was astonished. The bird then said to him,‘Do not fear. This is Iblis’s [Satan’s] handiwork.’ Then it said,‘Now confusion will become manifest. Does “There is no god but God” abide, or not?’ Sikandar said,‘It abides.’ Then it asked,‘Among God’s creation is uprightness still the right way, or not?’ Sikandar said,‘It is the right way.’ Then the bird left that place and went to another place.