Harut and Marut – The Fallen Angels
He firmly asserted: “Fire is better than clay;”
I’ll trace the traits to the original essence, all right!
He’s made of darkness; I’m but of pure light.
Allah hath ordained such relativity I never condone
Piety and steadfastness determine ranks in wisdom (1)
It’s not the inheritance of worldly goods, said His Lordship
Thou may claim of blood; it is but spiritual heirship.
It is the Prophets’ sincere, rightful heirloom.
Only the pious souls reserve claim till the doom,
The son of Abu Jahal willfully declared a Muslim (2)
The son of Noah was disobedient, misled to ruin
One rose out of dust to shine like a bright moon,
O’ cursed one! Thee born of fire; fire is thy boon.
Such presumptions suit on a cloudy day,
Or at night, to locate ‘Qibla,’ one has to pray. (3)
But when the sun and Kaaba are in front of you,
Need not use the speculative faculty, do you?
Don’t overlook Kaaba or turn thy face away to fret.
Use no suspicious reason. God knows the Best!
When thou had heard the voice of heavenly souls (4)
Your spiritual self is familiarized with its framework.
Still, you indulge in presumptuous speculation.
Your sole objective becomes your imagination. (5)
Abdal has too many interpretations to offer,
Which the most intelligent may not even conjure
Thou had learned, speak like Awliya thou must
Leading to countless misconceptions full of lust
Like that patient, thou had injured many hearts,
Thou got intoxicated in oblivion of self-righteousness
That scribe of Revelation got delusional to imagine
He may share with Hazrat Muhammad (saw) holiness pristine.
The ultimate Truth had but stricken him blind (6)
Disgraced to death, in an eternal punishment bind
Beware! Do not delude or fall into assumption.
Thou may not fall off from your heavenly station.
Though thou art Harut and Marut or even worse
Thou may dare to set thy rank, so invite curse (7)
Must thou show compassion and mercy to the sinful!
Don’t fall prey to egotism; never be so boastful.
Thou may invoke His sanctimonious pride.
And find thyself hanging inversely in a ditch.
Both hath replied, it’s Thy command we heed
Without thy protection we may find no refuge indeed.
Even saying this, their hearts were in deep turmoil
Thinking obscurely, thou slaves from sin recoil?
Both with thorns of doubt were ridden,
Till they had planted a seed of self-speculation
They would proclaim O you made of elements,
Ignorant of the purity of a Divine, complacent.
We, but build caverns for worship on the sky,
Descending on earth shall do feats thee envy.
Both said that they are least bothered by failure.
Because our essence is not from clay and water
We’ll do justice and shall pray all day long,
At night, back to heaven, we shall duly throng.
No doubt all shall wonder, witness our exquisiteness,
Because on earth, we shall establish peace and justice.
Environment of heaven can’t be confused with earthen,
Think both the same; a grievous mistake is on the run.
A window to Mathnavi Maulvi Ma’nvi
Translation and Commentary Seema Arif
Further Links for Rumi
Notes
1) Rumi quoted the Quran (23:101). Then, when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no more relationships between them that day, nor will one ask after another! “Ansab” all worldly status and relationship would not help you to acquire Paradise, but your own “good” done on earth.
(2) It refers to Abu Jahal, the most strong and active opponent of Hazrat Muhammad (saw). His son Akrama had accepted Islam and served Islam in the greatest of spirits, while Prophet Noah’s son was disobedient and drowned with the rest of unbelievers. Learn more about Ikrama accepting Islam. Click for Detail….
(3) In the early days of Islam, there were no watches, so the position of sun and its shadows on the ground determined the time for prayer. On cloudy days, one had to assume that now its time for prayer. Similarly, at night, it was hard to determine the direction towards “qiblah” holy Makkah, facing whom Muslims say their prayers as there was no compass. So, Muslims assumed that Qiblah was in a certain direction and said their prayer. Hence, assumptions and guesses can work only where no set rules or clear guidelines are available.
(4) Holy birds or heavenly spirits are Prophets of Allah and Awliya friends of Allah or Saints.
(5) When we have the Qu’ran as the book of law and the Prophet’s Sunnah as guidance, even then we doubt and speculate about certain rules that do not suit our desires and seek to misinterpret them. Then we cannot seek holiness because all our ideas become self-centered; they do not cross the boundaries of your imagination. The imagination is not in pursuit of Truth but is mutated into fantasy, becoming an inseparable part of one’s personhood.
(6) The scribe to Hazrat Muhammad (saw) for Divine Revelation Abdallah b. Abi Sarrah thought that he, too, was equal in the wisdom of the Prophet and claimed Prophethood and met a disastrous end. How many dispensers and nurses can regard themselves as doctors or scribes in court and think of themselves as judges? These are all delusions that misguide and ruin us.
(7) Rumi has quoted Qu’ran (37:164-165): (Those ranged in ranks say): “Not one of us but has a place appointed; “And we are verily ranged in ranks (for service); Learn more … Click for Detail….
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