THE FORTY-FIRST DISCOURSE Illustrating the nature of annihilation

We shall set forth for you a parable on affluence and we will say, "Do you not see the king taking an ordinary man and making him a governor and putting him in charge of a certain town, and giving him the robe of honour and flags and banners and drums and army; and the man passes some time in this condition till when he feels secure in it and begins to believe in its permanence and to take pride in it; and forgets his previous condition and handicaps and humiliation and poverty and obscurity thereof, and he is seized with pride and vanity, there comes from the king the order of his dismissal and the king demands an explanation for the crimes he has committed and for his transgressing his injunctions and prohibitions. So the king imprisons him in a narrow and dark prison and prolongs his imprisonment, and the man continues to remain in this suffering and humiliation and poverty in consequence of which his pride and vanity melt and his self is broken and the fire of his desires is extinguished and all this happens before the eyes of the king and within his knowledge; after which he becomes favourably inclined towards the man and looks at him with compassion and mercy and orders his release from the prison together with acts of kindness towards him and the robe of honour and the restoration of the governorship and that of another city like this. And he gives all these things to the man as a free gift. So he continues in this state of governorship which remains steady and pure and sufficient and blessed." This is the case of a believer when God draws him near and chooses him. He opens before the eye of his heart door of His mercy, blessing and reward. Then a believer sees with his inner heart which no eye has seen and no ear has heard and which has not occurred to any human heart in respect of the study of the unseen things of the kingdom of heavens and earth and of nearness to God; and of the sweet and nice words and happy promise and lavish affection, and of the acceptance of prayer and truthfulness, and of the fulfilment of promise and the words of great wisdom thrown on his heart which express themselves through his tongue; and along with these He completes on this man His favours externally over his body and his organs in the shape of food and drink and dress and lawful wife and other permissible things and the paying of regard to the bounds of law and to the formal acts of devotion. So God maintains this condition for His believing servant who is drawn towards Him for a considerable time until when the servant feels secure in it, and becomes deceived by it and believes in its permanence, God opens for him doors of calamity and various kinds of difficulties in respect of life and property and wife and children, and removes from him all that He had bestowed upon him before this, so that he is left astonished and helpless and broken down and cut off from his people. If he looks at his external circumstances he sees things which appear evil to him; he sees what grieves him. And if he asks God to remove his trouble, his petition does not meet with any acceptance, and if he asks for any good promise he does not get it quickly and if he promises anything he is not informed about its fulfilment and if he sees any dream he does not succeed in interpreting it and getting at its truth; and if he intends to get back towards people he does not get any means to it; and if any alternative appears to him and he acts on it he is immediately overtaken by chastisement and the hands of people get hold of his body and their tongues assail his honour; and if he wants to free himself from the obligation of the condition in which he finds himself and to go back to the condition previous to his acceptance, such a prayer is not accepted; and if he asks for cheerful submission and delight and happy living in the midst of the calamities with which he is surrounded, even this is not granted. Then it is that his self begins to melt and the low desires begin to disappear and his intentions and longings begin to pass away and the existence of everything is reduced to naught. This state of affairs is prolonged for him and even made to increase in intensity and severity and stress, until, when the servant passes away altogether from human characteristics and attributes and remains merely a soul, he hears an inner voice calling out to him: Urge with thy foot; here is a cool washing-place and a drink (38:42). as it was said to Prophet Job (peace be upon him). Then God makes for him oceans of His mercy and compassion and tenderness and His happiness and sweet smell of knowledge of reality and subtle points of His knowledge, and opens for him doors of His favours and lavish care and extends the hands of people towards him for gifts and service in all conditions of life, and releases the tongues of people for his praise and applause and good renown in every affair, and urges the feet of people to come to him and causes the necks of people to bow before him and makes kings and chiefs subservient to him and completes on him His favours, internal and external, and takes charge of his external upbringing, through His creation and other blessings, and perfects his inner upbringing by His kindness and favour, and makes this state continue for him till he meets Him. Then He makes him enter in what no eye has seen and no ear has heard and what has not occurred to the heart of any man, as God says; No soul knows what refreshment of the eyes is hidden for them; a reward for what they did (32:17).