From the Twenty-Fifth Discourse—page 536-543
in Irshad: Wisdom of a Sufi Master, by Sheikh Muzaffer Ozak Al-Jerrahi, trans. Muhtar Holland. An Ashki Book of Amity House, Warwick: 1988.
The Ruler Who Sought The Mysterious Khidr
A certain ruler once issued this proclamation throughout his entire domain: “Whoever finds the blessed Khidr, and brings him to me, I shall bestow upon that man the most enormous reward; I shall grant him whatever he may wish…”
(Before we proceed with our story, the reader may wish to know something about Khidr, the mysterious divine envoy, so let us digress for a moment: The great Yemeni scholar, ‘Abd al-Razzāq, was once giving a lecture in the mosque, surrounded by a learned audience of thousands, who sat following his lecture with great interest. The venerable Khidr had joined the company, and he approached a person who appeared to be dozing instead of attending to the lecture. “Why are you dozing?” he asked the man. “Seize this opportunity, for the lecturer is the great ‘Abd al-Razzāq. Open your eyes and ears!” The man opened his eyes, looked at the venerable Khidr, then dozed off again. Khidr woke him up a second time, but to no more avail, so he delivered a third admonition: “I tell you not to sleep,” he cried, “do not waste this opportunity!”
The man now straightened up and whispered in Khidr’s ear: “You take your lessons from ‘Abd al-Razzāq [the name means: Servant of the All-Providing One], but we take ours directly from the All-Providing One Himself. Stop pestering me. If I go and tell these people you are Khidr, don’t blame me if they throw you out by the scruff of your neck!” The venerable Khidr was amazed, both at this response and at being recognized. He turned in supplication to the Creator of the Universe, saying: “O Lord, this man’s name is not among those You have made known to me. Who is he?” The Exalted Lord gave him the following reply by inspiration: “O Khidr, I have made known to you only those I love. As for this servant of Mine, he is one of those who love Me. My saints are under My aegis, known only to Me.”)
To resume our tale: The ruler had set his people a very serious and difficult task. Of course, it presented no problem for certain holy men, but would those saintly beings embark on the endeavor to find Khidr for the sake of worldly benefit and a king’s reward?
A certain learned man did consider attempting the task. Despite his knowledge and wisdom, this person had no worldly fortune and was very poor. For all the fruits of his years of study, he had failed to acquire any worldly wealth. If he could succeed in this, the reward would enable him to spend what remained of his life in comfort. Should he fail, he would at least enjoy the leave given. The matter would then be up to the fairness of the king.
With these thoughts in mind, he approached the king and offered to try and trace Khidr. The king said to him: “This is an extremely important task you are about to undertake. There is no order in my kingdom. My people cannot find any peace or prosperity. I am hoping to use the wise advice I shall receive from Khidr in order to straighten out all this chaos. My kingdom will only last and endure if my people can enjoy happiness and prosperity, tranquility and peace.”
The learned man who had promised he would be bale to find Khidr, on him be peace, then said: “Just give me two horses and a little money. I shall ride one horse myself and mount Khidr upon the other.”
The king provided him with the two horses he had asked for, as well as a saddlebag filled with gold. He also gave him three months’ leave. The scholar then left the court and took the animals to his own stable. He used the money he had received to repair and improve his own house. Then he settled down to a life of ease and leisure.
Bowing down in prostration before the All-Merciful, he wept and sighed as he prayed: “O Lord, I know very well that it is useless to seek for Your servant Khidr. I did not take this task upon myself, but then I have had nothing to laugh about in this world. Not one of its many bounties fell to my lot. With that I am content, for You endowed me with a treasury of learning. Unfortunately, my children and dependents do not recognize the value of this treasury. As far as they are concerned, worldly happiness lies only in money, clothes, and food. That is why I made so bold as to volunteer for this task. O Lord, do not disappoint this poor servant of Yours. Send Khidr to me so that I may not be the object of abasement and disgrace.”
It is a true saying that fine and peaceful days pass quickly. The three-month leave he had been granted was over almost before he could blink an eye. If we pause to consider how prolonged are nights for those who lie sick, in trouble and pain, and how short in contrast are the nights when lovers meet, we shall be able to appreciate this better…
The life of this world seems very short to unbelievers, reprobates and tyrants who live in blissful affluence. Before they know it, that frightful vehicle, the bier, has come to take them for their final ride. For the believers, on the other hand, the life of this world is like a life spent in jail. It therefore seems very long to them. In fact, the length of time that passes is the same for both…
His three-month leave had flown and the learned scholar abandoned all hope of finding Khidr. He set off for the palace, riding one of the horses and leading the other by its halter. At the palace meanwhile, great preparations were in hand for welcoming Khidr, on him be peace. The watchman came and told the king that the man who had promised to find Khidr was on his way back all alone. The king was too furious to sit still. He ordered his council to convene and commanded that this man be tried, condemned and executed at once.
The court assembled in compliance with the royal command and the king roared angrily at the accused: “Well, where is Khidr, on him be peace? How dare you deceive me in this fashion? Do you know what it means to deceive an emperor?”
The accused party calmly replied: “Yes my sovereign. I volunteered for a task I would never be able to accomplish, and as you see, I have failed. My hope was to find Khidr, but how could I do it? Alas, I could not find him. Inflict upon me whatever penalty I deserve. I am content to accept my punishment.”
As the poor man was uttering these words in profound resignation, a child appeared and the courtiers took him to be the son of the man on trial. At the same time, the latter supposed the child to be the son of one of the courtiers. This was not as surprising as it may seem, for while the child appeared to the courtiers to be wearing old and tattered clothes, he seemed to the man in the dock to be dressed like a prince. Moreover, it was customary in those days for ordinary people to have access to such imperial courts, where their suits could receive a hearing.
When the accused had had his say, the king turned to his minister and said: “What is a suitable penalty for this man who had deceived me? Speak frankly and let it be an exemplary punishment, calculated to deter others from daring to deceive their sovereign.”
The prime minister replied: “Your Majesty, let this man be put in the mortar used for grinding wheat, and let him be crushed till his flesh and bones are inseparably mixed. Then let us dispatch a sample of this ground-up mixture to each of our provinces. Let us expose them to view in the public squares and have the town criers proclaim to all the king’s subjects that this same fate is in store for all who dare to deceive their sovereign. These measure ought to have the desired effect.”
In response to this idea of the prime minister’s, the child, who had not uttered a sound till then, suddenly cried out: “Everything returns to its source!”
Indeed it is so: Everything returns to its own origin and source. Through his words, each of us reveals his own character and essential nature. This unknown child had now revealed his.
The king now turned to his second minister and asked him what penalty should be imposed. The second minister rose and said: “O Emperor of the World, the punishment prescribed by the prime minister is quite fitting. However, since you have graciously condescended to ask my humble opinion, I shall presume to make a suggestion. According to my unworthy conviction, this man should be subject to the following punishment: He ought to be thrown alive into the furnace and roasted to a turn, then he should be divided into pieces. Each piece should be sent to one of the provinces and exhibited to your subjects in the public square. This should serve the purpose of letting everyone know the consequences of daring to deceive their sovereign.”
In response to this suggestion the child repeated his words: “All things return to their source.” The king then asked his third minister to give his opinion. “Sire,” said the minister, “this man should be handed over to the executioner to have his skin flayed from his body, which would then be made partly into mincedmeat, partly into kebab and partly into cutlets. The various parts should then be sent out to the provinces and put on display as a grim warning to those who might dare to deceive their sovereign. If the measure I propose had been applied in previous cases of this sort, this man would never have dared to do such a thing.”
The proposal of the third minister was greater with a loud: “All things return to their source,” from the child.
While the minister were describing the penalties they would like to see inflicted, the learned scholar sat in his place, sometimes turning pale, sometimes becoming flushed, and bathed in a cold sweat. None of the three ministers had shown him the slightest compassion None of them had been disposed to pardon him in the least. Of what offense was he really guilty? What had he done to deserve such savage and bloodthirsty punishment? Should not the penalty match the crime? Was not each of these ministers a human being like himself? Surely human beings could not be immune to absentmindedness and making mistakes. Justice could hardly be assured by imposing such severe penalties for such a trivial offense. This kind of punishment could hardly be conducive to popular prosperity and happiness. If they had thought up a punishment to fit the crime, justice would then have been done—and seen to be done. This would have been acceptable to the conscience of the masses.
Harsh penalties of this sort, however, would constitute cruel tyranny. In a country where such tyranny prevailed, there could certainly be no trace of justice, let alone happiness and prosperity.
The learned scholar was partly preoccupied with thoughts like these, but at the same time he looked with pity upon the ministers who wished to subject him to these extreme severities. For these scoundrels did not even realize that by proposing such sentences, they were really condemning themselves. They were acting like this merely to curry favor with their master.
Finally the king turned to ask the opinion of the chief religious scholar [Sheikh al-Islam], who said: “My Emperor, you have adhered to the principle that safety lies in consultation. Since you have sought my advice, I shall say that the proper punishment in this case is a matter to be referred to your compassion alone. At least this man freely confesses before you his guilt and impotence, in that he undertook an impossible task and failed to accomplish it despite his hope that he might somehow succeed. A person who admits his guilt should not be wronged. It behooves kings to grant pardon. Pardon him therefore, because the day will come when you must appear in God’s court, where you will find yourself in this man’s situation. The sovereign of that day will be Allāh, the Lord of Majesty. In His court you will be the one on trial; you will find yourself in the place of the accused. If you pardon, you will be pardoned, and Allāh will certainly treat you gently. This man should not be punished on the grounds of having taken money from you and having spent it on himself. He has discharged his debt to you by seeking Khidr, on him be peace, during a period of three months, in your name and in accordance with your with and command. He devoted his time to this purpose. Therefore, he should be required to return to you whatever money is left over after deducting the expenses incurred during his search. If, due to his poverty, he has used up the money left over, it would be proper for you to transfer the sum in question from your privy purse to the public treasury and thereby bring this case to a conclusion. The attributes befitting an emperor are generosity, munificence, and magnanimity. Just as a father’s failings become manifest in the mischief of his children, so do the faults of a king become apparent in the wickedness of his people. The same society that raises a man to ministerial rank can also reduce him to disgrace. The state is like a father, with the people as its children. If a father is good and takes good care of his children and dependents, they will become his obedient friends. It is equally evident and natural that if the father is bad the children will likewise be bad. Every father has the children he deserves. That is why I maintain that this man’s shortcoming is due to your own shortcoming. Pardon him so that you may also be pardoned.”
The king was deeply moved by these words so very just and true. Indeed they brought him to tears. At that moment the child, who was still in the court, cried out in a loud voice: “Everyone must return to his origin and source. Everyone reveals his true nature and character through the words he utters and the judgments he makes.”
The king had not failed to notice how, throughout the course of the hearing, this child had not failed to notice how, throughout the course of the hearing, this child had repeated the same words after each opinion had been given. This time he turned to him and asked: “What do you mean by these words?” The child responded with a boldness and eloquence hardly to be expected from one of such tender years: “”O well-intentioned and good-hearted king! By seeking and finding Khidr, you hoped to bring law and order, peace and prosperity to your kingdom. Le me explain the meaning of my words: the penalty proposed by your prime minister made me realize that he is quite unsuited to his office. He is qualified by nature to be nothing more than chief grinder-and-mincer in the palace kitchen. Appoint him to that position so that you may enjoy his tasty pies. In describing what he saw as a fitting punishment, he gave away his true skill and profession and proved that he is really the son of a grinder-and-mincer.
“As for your second minister, he revealed himself qualified to be in charge of the palace ovens. Give him that job so that you can enjoy the delicacies he will bake and roast. By the reply he gave he also revealed his true talent and showed himself to be the son of a baker.
“We know come to the third minister, who suggested a punishment from which we can deduce that he would make a fine master butcher. It would take a natural butcher to conceive the idea of killing and skinning a man, chopping him up and making minced meat, kebab, and cutlets out of him. You should make him chief palace butcher, so that you can eat with relish the meat he will chop and carve. He is a born butcher.
“As you now see, of the three men you employed as ministers to govern your kingdom, one is a grinder-and-mincer, one a baker and the other a butcher. Each of them revealed his true nature through his own ideas and statements. Perhaps they did so unwittingly and involuntarily. Be that as it may, it has been clearly established that none of them can escape the influence of his true profession and craft. There is nothing wrong with those occupations as such, for they are all useful and important to society. The administration of an empire, however, is not a matter of mincing meat, baking break, or slaughtering, skinning and dissecting man or beast. Government administration required the service of men suited to it by character, training and maturity. Butchers, bakers and grinders know their respective trades but can not be expected to succeed in government administration. No more could a statesman do the job they do.”
The human body contains coarse and subtle organs, each organ having its separate function. None can do the work of another. Each subtle organ needs the coarse to perform the function of which it is itself incapable, and vice versa.
Imagine the man who is physically sound and healthy but whose rational faculty is deficient; in other words someone who is mentally retarded. Now picture to yourself another man who possesses all his rational faculties but is deprived of hands and feet. For all his physical health and vigor, the first man will not be able to start and finish a task. As for the second man, he will not be able to go by himself from one place to another, since his mind cannot do the job of his missing feet. Although he can see, he cannot hold anything with his eyes. Clearly, the eye cannot do the work of the hand, nor can the mind do the work of the feet. Each organ can be useful and effective in performing its natural function. We may even go as far as to say that each possesses its own peculiar nobility.
It is just the same in the sphere of government administration. The machinery of the state will only work if the right people occupy the right positions. The man should fit the job rather than the job the man.
All those present, and above all the king himself, listened to the child in deep and respectful silence as he continued: “My Sovereign, it is not my intention to belittle or blame your ministers by calling them butcher, baker or grinder. My only purpose is to bring to your attention the necessity of appointing each person to a position for which he is qualified and suited. You must be careful to give priority to this, so as to insure the order and stability you desire in the administration of your kingdom. Our blessed Master said: ‘When jobs are not given to the right people, you should get ready for the Resurrection.’
“Having given you my thoughts concerning your ministers, I beg your indulgence while I say a few words about the respected Sheikh al-Islam. We all heard and understood the speech of this reverend individual, whose words revealed his origin too. He is, in fact, the son of a king of India. He left his homeland because a struggle for the throne broke out among his brothers. Settling in your kingdom, he assumed the office of Sheikh al-Islam. It is clear to us all, after hearing the opinion he expressed, that he is a worthy scion of his royal house. It now behooves you to observe the following:
“You should appoint the Sheikh al-Islam to the prime ministry. To the position thus vacated you should assign the man still standing in the dock before you. His whole life has been devoted to learning and his knowledge makes him truly qualified for this duty. He is a man whose caliber and worth has gone unrecognized until now and only his poverty and need compelled him to commit the offense that brought him here. In fact, the incident has served to lead him into a situation he fully deserves. If you put your ministers in charge of the department I have indicated, each of them will have found his rightful place. You can leave to the discretion of your new prime minister, the present Sheikh al-Islam, the appointment of new second and third ministers.
“My Sovereign, even if Khidr had come he could not have helped you with more useful advice.” With these words he got up and quickly walked away…
While all were deep in meditation on these truthful sayings, the learned scholar, who had not yet left the dock, leapt to his feet crying: “That is Khidr!… that is Khidr himself! I brought him, I brought him to you.” Before the words were out of his mouth, Khidr, who had appeared in the guise of a child, suddenly vanished from sight.
Acting on the advice of Khidr, on him be peace, the king instituted some inquiries which revealed that the grandfather of the prime minister had really been a chief grinder-and-mincer, that the second and third ministers were the grandsons of a baker and butcher respectively, that the Sheikh al-Islam was in fact a king’s son and that the learned man who had promised to fetch Khidr, on him be peace, really was a great scholar.
The king did not content himself with inquiries alone, but carried out precisely and to the letter all the recommendations of Khidr, on him be peace. As a result, his kingdom entered an era of perfect peace and tranquility, of absolute happiness and prosperity. For a long time, administrators and subjects flourished and prospered in an atmosphere of mutual love and respect