Book

The

of

the Cure

of Souls

By A. J. ARBERRY
a former number

of this journal I published a specimen

of one of the Rasd'il of Junayd, as an announce
to make that famous personage
ment of my intention
the
a
at
It
will
of
be
useful
this
stage to
monograph.1
subject

TN

translation

print

text

the

and

of what

translation

of the

little

both

because

is one of the most

in the Istanbul
preserved
of
its
and
also for the
contents,
manuscript,
reason that it is the only work of
for
which we have
Junayd
a second authority.8
true that the Istanbul
It is unfortunately
as
at
the
is
himself
manuscript,
copyist
pains to admit,9 is
from a very faulty archetype,
derived
and with
such an
author as Junayd
the work of emendation
is necessarily
interesting

treatises

with countless pitfalls.

The Cairo manuscript
of
the Kitdb Dawd* aharwah
exhibits
variants
roughly ninety
as compared with the Istanbul
in the space of
manuscript,
rather less than 2J folios.4
In by far the majority
of places
the Istanbul manuscript
appears to be the more correct.
attended

The present
is in reality a meditation
on the
opuscule
6
theme of the vision, or perhaps more properly, the knowledge
of God. The author takes a handful of Qur'anic passages
in
or to
of as appearing?to
Muhammad,
Moses?and
the principle of istinbdt
indicates
by applying
their significance
for the ?ufi in his dealings with God. He
"
on the familiar theme,
concludes with a meditation
the
which

God

true ?ufi."
a separate
1

JRAS.

is spoken

The whole
and

work

independent

is well knit

together,

and forms

treatise.7

499-507.
' In
tho
I = Istanbul
Sehid Ali,
1374.
75;
majamt*,
1 On
fois. 676, 606.
4
are exhibited
al-Luma*
Equally
striking
divergences
by the Kitdb
in those passages
are common
which
to it and the Istanbul MS.
1 For the " vision " of
is a conoeption
abhorrent
God, literally understood,
to orthodoxy.
*
Cf. Massignon,
Kssai,
p. 28, n. 2.
7 A similar
on a Qur'anio
occurs on fois. 58-9 of the
meditation
passage
Istanbul
MS.
July,
text,

1935, pp.
C = Cairo

the

226

book

of

the

cure

of

souls

Translation
In the Name

of God, the Merciful,

the Compassionate.
to
Praise belongs
God, Who has made clear with manifest
to the people of gnosis and revelation, what
demonstration,
He
in pre-eternal
bestowed
them,
upon
"
"
came
when
there was
before
into
eternity,
being,
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
nor
nor
nor
when
neither
where
how
there ",
"
"
"
"
nor
and when there was neither
not-when
not-where
"
"
"
nor
nor
them worthy
not-how
not-there ",l by making
of His unification,
and the separation
of His isolation, who
had passed away from the pretence of attaining His limita
special

favours

before

tion.2 For they were chosen for Himself,

and made under
His eye, and on them He cast a love from Him and of Him:
"
3 and " that thou
be
and I chose thee for Myself"
mayst
"
made under My eye ",4
and I cast on thee a love from
Myself".*
Now one of the qualities of those whom God has fashioned
them under His eye, and casting on
for Himself,
making
that
is this:
them His
love from Himself
and of Himself,
6
nor
one
does
their
not
in
their knowledge
fixed
stays
place,
nor
intellect accord with a fixation of a certain intelligence,
of a
the accomplishment
towards
is their resolve directed
single
gnosis
infinite

purpose.
whither
aim.

by
they who are transported
an
never
them?to
transported
knowledge
Intellects would shrink, minds perish, gnosis be
These

are

times pass away, bewilderment

constricted,
in bewilderment,
at the description
of the
1 Suoh

would

wander
taken

first step

of God are common

nature
of the indescribable
descriptions
see the well-known
of IJallaj quoted
in ?ufi
definition
literature;
in Kalabadh!,
Kit&b al-Ta'arruj,
p. 13.
(anonymously)
* Sc. of
nature
to the illimitable
of God.
bounds
setting
refer
in their context
and the following
This
Q. xx, 43.
quotations
a universal
to Moses
; here they are given
application.
*
xx, 39.
Q.
Q. xx, 40.
"
. . .'* The
Literally,
they have no foot (cf. Q. x, 2) of a knowledge
on
the mystics
of this and the following
pass
is, that
meaning
phrase
are in a
so
minds
their
that
from
revelation
to
revelation,
continuously
of flux.
state
places

THE BOOK OF THE CURE OF SOULS

to accord

227

the quality of a locus for a love,1 because

degrees of knowledge,
appointed by God for

with

of the various
them

and of Himself,
which
continued
through Himself
over
ah
!
which
is
them.
For
is
His
that,
His,
passing
through
"
"
Him being with Him2:
whither
then will ye depart ? 8
Hast

thou

not

heard

what He Himself

of the knowledge
of His folding up
and
His
displayed,
revealing what He Him

? 4 Of how He

chose whom He chose to receive

"
the secret of His revelation
? He revealed unto His servant
" 6
what He revealed;
the heart belied not what he saw
"
to him that he
at the highest
He testified
horizon ".
was His
not use him
servant
therefore
did
God
alone;
for a desire, or a
jealously, because of any secret yearning
self concealed

covert gratification
of a lust, or a commerce with a glance,
or traffick with.a
he did not stake a claim by
thought7:
nor
utterance,8
outstrip the just claimants by a spoken word,
neither

did

he for a single
"
He
revealed

instant
unto

consider any personal

"
"
then
what He

him

advantage.
revealed "?He made his intellect ready for that which He
on him when He took him to Himself,
and chose
bestowed
"
on
him for a certain matter,
him
what
burden he
laying "
"
has to bear ",9 and he bore it.
He revealed unto him
"
"
: for space
then
the highest horizon
what He revealed?at
was too narrow, and created things shrank, before suffering
1 So. the heart of
is tho locus of God's
lovo.
man, which
1 The
is not of himself,
but of
that sweeps over tho mystic
knowledge
leaves Him.
God, and never
*
cannot
from God.
26: man
Q. lxxxi,
escape
"
* "
is man's
from the
non-existence
up what He displayed
Folding
"
in time;
time of the crcativo
kun until his birth
what Ho
revealing
"
concealed
is tlio knowlcdgo
of God, which was taken from man when he
was disobedient.
1
to
is usually
This passage
taken by tho commentators
Q. liii, 10-11.
it as a vision
it seems that Junayd
refer to a vision of Gabriel;
interprets
of God Himself.
*
Q. liii, 8.
7 Sc. of other
than God.
*
before God spoko to him, as if eager to claim Him.
By speaking
*
of Prophethood.
the burden
53;
Q. xxiv,

THE BOOK OF THE CURE OF SOULS

228

that was made to him to pass through them

"
"
at the highest
horizon ",*
when
them, save
cover
covered the lote-tfee what
it" a?a glance
did

the revelation
or over
there

from the majesty

of His glance, which has no object of glance,
the
lote-tree, when there covered it what did
falling upon
cover it, and it withstood
that which did cover it.8
"
Consider also the mountain,
when
He revealed Himself"
to it; "He made
and
it dust, and Moses
fell swooning,
when he recovered, he said, Glory be to Thee ! I have turned
"
unto Thee
4?that
is, I return to ask of Thee the vision:
after experiencing
this station,5 in spite of knowing how enor
mous his petition was, and despite the fact that, had knowledge
met

with

in the time of asking, words would not

reality
or appropriate.6
been permissible
in this station
Now
a
there is knowledge which may not be inscribed, and which
to put in writing.7
it is not appropriate

have

Consider also how God relates concerning His Beloved:8

and he saw him yet another time, at the lote-tree of the
9 The word " at" here does not
utmost boundary."
imply
:
the
moment
the
it
of
implies
knowledge
revealing
place
" only
moment
",10 Consider
of the
of the
then the excellence
"

two moments,
and the variety
of the two places, and how
two stations differed,
the one being on high, and the
other below.11 So excel the intellects
of the gnostics who
the

I For

there only God could make

revelation
in space, as explained
later.
Q. liii, 16.
tree was able to withstand
The heavenly
God's glance, which otherwise
all upon which
it falls.
destroys
4
This
is the story of Moses, who asked God to let him
Q. vii, 139-140.
: the mountain
see Him
turned to dust before the vision of God (not being
as was the lote-tree).
preserved,
of it as a mystical
Speaking
experience.
?

For the experience

of God
is ineffable.
7 So the
of their highest
?ufis ever draw back from writing
experiences.
Sc. Muhammad.
taken to refer to the tni'raj.
Q. liii, 13 : this is usually
10 In the
sense of the word.
mystical
"
"
II The
two
revelations
in Q. liii:
described
the first" two bows*
"
nearer
or
an
off
the second
at the lote
still",
visitation,
length
earthly
tree ", in highest

heaven.

THE BOOK OF THE CURE OF SOULS

Some

believe.

of them

aware

how near He

them

unto Him:

can utter

isWho
whether

intimate

converses

with

229

converse, being
them and draws

they be on high or below, the

not veil them.1 Others are not

of the fact does

knowledge
able to do this : with them God makes

8
secondary causes
so that through these they are
a means
to understanding,
when
God
to
addresses
understand
able
them, and answer
"
no
man is permitted
at
God's
and
Him. Do not pause
saying,
or
that God may speak with him, save it be by revelation,
to reveal
from behind a veil, or that He sendeth a messenger,
are matters4
too
leave what He wills." 8 These
by His
for narrow

to comprehend,
knowledge
except a man
or occupy
those who enjoy neighbourhood,*
of the winding ways that lead
himself with the knowledge
to the sciences of the elect,6 who are solitary even from their
and are free of all their desires.
For a barrier
solitudes,

vast

with

consult

set between

them and the objects of their lusts:

winds
of understanding,
the
swept along by
they were brought
down to the seas of wisdom, whence
they drew the pure
no
fear
mischief
water of life. They
thereof, no visitation
are
they avid to seek the attainment
they expect, neither
of any end:
nay rather, ends are for them beginnings.7
is hidden,
in that they are manifest,
in other men
What
has been

and they are hidden in that in which other men are manifest.8
the preservers
of
They are the trustees of God's revelation,
of
His secret, performing His command,
His
truth,
speaking
to Him.
in
They vie with one another
acting in obedience
good works,

hastening

beforehand

1
converse
with God,
Permitting
of Niffari
the Mawaqij
exemplify.
"
the
Sc. phenomena,
natural"
4

Q.

xiii,

Literally,
? Sc.
with
Sc.
7

point
8

Since

the

to perform

a feature

of much

them:
?ufi

in the
as

experience,

mysticism.

60.
"
places."
God.
?ufis.
rest not

in any goal,
for higher
things.
Their
souls are as other men's
they

but take
bodies,

each achievement
for by and

as a starting

for them

they

live.

THE BOOK OF THE CURE OF SOULS

230

of their course
excellent
very beginning
they preserved
manners
in their dealings,1 whatever might be the due which
they were required to pay to God. No wise counsel is there,
to winning
which they have not put into practice, no means
God's

favour,

which

Their
they have not employed.
in paying His first
their strength

souls

due,
gave all
come
to
to
and
Him,
zealous,
nothing,
reserving
leaving
seeking
that what they owed, at
rather, they considered
nothing:
the time of their payment, was greater far than all that their
liberally

God's manifest
payment had of merit.
signs2 to them point,
of God in them abound.
No reproach
and the sciences8
no
fear hinders them at
gives them pause at any visitation,
no
covetousness
in making
incites
them
any
any calamity,
was
entrusted
Book
which
God's
preparation.4
They preserve
and to it bear witness,
for when they perform any
not
turn
do
from
seeking refuge in turning to
duty, they
ask God's help, to complete what they set out to do. Their
to God
others does not diminish
their listening
counselling
to them,

in them any
them,6 so long as there remains
addressing
: for they fear lest, knowing
vestige of the life that is in Him
what they are required to do for God, they may suffer some
of their dues.8
vain conceit to enter into the performance
run
to
not
forth
hesitate
do
Therefore
they
eagerly when
ever

the

command

comes,

without

that

act may
such
division,

sharp, appreciable
of the nature of the command.
of the elect
These are the qualities
friends,

whose

eye

is ever

fixed

follow command,
as would
not be

of God, His beloved

on the saying, which has

observed
adab in their behaviour
towards
God.
They
1 Sc. created
to natural
the guides
religion.
things,
* Tho
to God's
intellectual
guides
religion.
4Whatever
they suffer or undertake,
they do it for God
other motive.
"
* The variant
mean
others
reading would
addressing

alone,

with

no

them ", which

to the context.
less appropriate
*
to listen to God, and are not puffed up by their position
They continue
as counsellors
of others,
into imagining
that what
they do is by their own
power.

THE BOOK OF THE CURE OF SOULS

231

to them, impressing the duty of servanthood

in
application
true discipline?a
which
is
condemned1
in
discipline
only
the case of those who undertake
it, without
performing
their obligations
it.
under it, failing to practise
*
The souls of practitioners
take hastily the knowledge
they
so
of that knowledge
have, and are veiled by the thought
that they do not know what tho knowledge
of that know
in revealing
ledge means to them or what God's favour means
to them

the knowledge
of what that knowledge
is.8 So veil
the
sciences of
the
revelation
of
upon veil, hiding
the veils,4 and they remain beneath
their covering.
Then,

thickens

there appear
they have emerged from these conditions,5
"
Thou
to them the sciences of the unveiling of the covering.
wast in heedlessness
of this, and we uncovered
thy covering,
"
a man understands
and thy sight to-day
is keen
6?such
the limits 7 of things, for the Creator uncovers
them, and
when

light of creation in which He clothed them, and

in His pervading
of will, which was manifested
them
and
power, concentrating
separating them, giving them
"
movement8
It tires Him not to keep them
and reality.
for He
No constraint
is there in
is High, Mighty.
both,9
the faith : guidance has become clear from error."10
reveals

the

the beauty

1 As

in tho well-known

Tradition,

"

no monkery

{rahbanfyah)

"

in Islam

which
thus explains.
Junayd
*
in religious
law, and its ramifications
praotice.
theory?tho
Religious
* That
certain duties
what God's purpose was in proscribing
is, knowing
the reading of I1 is correct.
and perhaps
to man.
This passage
is obscure,
4 This
of ?ufi discipline.
is the true purpose
"
*
places.'*
Literally,
*
21.
Q. i,
7A
and ^udud.
play on "words?fuidid
8
their courses."
Literally,
*
and earth.
heaven
In the context,
10
somewhat
is of necessity
translation
Tho
ii, 256.
Q.
foregoing
tentative,
clarification.
326.

and

should

welcomo

any

suggestions

for

emendation

or

THE BOOK OF THE CURE OF SOULS

220

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THE BOOK OF THE CURE OF SOULS

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THE BOOK OF THE CURE OP SOULS

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THE BOOK OF THE CURE OF SOULS

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