_Chelebī Emīr ‘Ārif, Jelālu-’d-Dīn._
(Ninety pages of the volume by Eflākī give more than two hundred
anecdotes of the acts and miracles, of various kinds, of this
illustrious grandson of Jelālu-’d-Dīn, the teacher and friend of the
author, who vouches as an eyewitness for the truth and correctness of
some of the narratives.
The Emīr ‘Ārif passed the far greater portion of his life in travelling
about to various cities in central and eastern Asia Minor, and
north-western Persia, countries then subject to the great Khāns,
descendants of Jengīz. He appears to have been of a more energetic or
bellicose character than his father, and to have ruled with vigour
during his short Rectorship.)
1.
On the last day but one of the period of the greater pilgrimage at
Mekka, the eve of the Festival of Sacrifices, the ninth of the month of
Zū-’l-Hijja, A.H. 717 (11th February, A.D. 1318), the Emīr ‘Ārif, and
the historian Eflākī, his disciple, were together at Sultāniyya, in the
north of Persia, the new capital of the great western Mogul empire.
They were visiting at the convent of a certain Mevlevī dervish, named
Sheykh Suhrāb,[34] with sundry of the friends and saints, all of whom
were engaged in the study of different books, at about the hour of
midday, excepting ‘Ārif, who was enjoying a _siesta_.
Suddenly, ‘Ārif raised his head, and gave one of his loud,
awe-inspiring shouts, which caused all present to tremble. Without a
word, however, he again composed himself to sleep.
When he at length fully roused himself, and finally woke up from his
sleep, Sheykh Eflākī ventured to inquire what it was that had disturbed
him.
He answered: “I had gone in the spirit to pay a visit to the tomb of
my great-grandfather, when there I saw the two Mevlevī dervishes,
Nāsiru-’d-Dīn and Shujā’u-’d-Dīn Chanāqī, who had seized each other
by the collar, and were engaged in a violent dispute and struggle. I
called out to them to desist; and two men, with one pious woman, being
there present, saw me.”
Eflākī at once made a note of this narrative, putting down the date and
hour of the occurrence.
Some time afterwards, ‘Ārif returned to the land of Rome, and went to
the town of Lādik (_Laodicæa Combusta_, not far from Qonya); and there
they met the above-named Nāsiru-’d-Dīn. In the presence of all the
friends, ‘Ārif asked Nāsir to relate to them the circumstances of his
quarrel with Shujā‘.
Nāsir replied: “On the eve of the Festival of Sacrifices, I was
standing at the upper end of the mausoleum, when Shujā’ came there, and
committed an unseemly act, for which I reprehended him. He immediately
collared me, and I him; when suddenly, from the direction of the feet
of the holy Bahā Veled, the voice of ‘Ārif was heard shouting to us,
and made us tremble. In awe thereat, we immediately embraced each
other, and bowed in reverence. That is all I know of the matter.”
‘Ārif then addressed Eflākī, and said: “Pray relate to our friends what
thou knowest thereof, that they may be edified.”
Eflākī now produced his memorandum-book, and showed the entry he had
made, with the date. The friends marvelled at this, and rejoiced
exceedingly, their spirits being refreshed with an influence from the
invisible world.
‘Ārif then said: “By the soul of my ancestor, I dislike exceedingly
to make a display of any miraculous power. But, now and then, for the
edification of my disciples, such scenes will slip out. Then Eflākī
takes note thereof.”
Such miracles are known by the names of “manifestations,” and “ekstasis
of the spirit.”
When Qonya was reached, three friends, one a lady, bore testimony to
having seen ‘Ārif at the tomb on that day, and to their having heard
him shout.
2.
‘Ārif’s last journey was from Lārenda to Aq-Serāy (on the road to
Qonya). In the latter place he remained about ten days; when, one
night, he laid his head on his pillow, and wept bitterly, continuously
moaning and sobbing in his sleep.
In the morning his friends inquired the cause. He said he had seen a
strange dream. He was seated in a vaulted chamber, with windows looking
on to a garden as beautiful as paradise, with all kinds of flowering
shrubs and fruit-bearing trees, beneath the shade of which the youths
and maidens of heaven were walking and disporting themselves. Melodious
voices were also heard. In one direction he noticed a flower-garden,
and there he saw his grandfather, Jelālu-’d-Dīn. He wondered at his
appearance; when lo, Jelāl looked towards him, and beckoned him to
approach. On his drawing near, Jelāl asked him what had brought him
there; and then added: “The time is come; the end of thy term. Thou
must come to me.”
It was from joy and delight at this kind invitation of his grandfather,
that ‘Ārif had wept and sobbed.
He then said: “It is time for me to make my journey to heaven,--to
drink of the cup of God’s might.”
Two days later, they continued their journey towards Qonya, and ‘Ārif
showed some slight symptoms of indisposition. These daily grew more
severe. He reached Qonya. One morning he came out of his house, and
stood in the gateway of his great-grandfather’s mausoleum, silent, in
the midst of his disciples. It was Friday, the last day of the month of
Zū-’l-Qa’da, A.H. 719 (13th January, A.D. 1320).
The orb of the sun rose like a disk of gold, careering over the azure
vault from an impulse given to it by the bat of God’s decree. It
attained the altitude of a lance-length. ‘Ārif contemplated it, and
smiled. Shortly afterwards, he spoke as follows:—
“I am tired of this lower world, and have no wish to remain beneath
the sun, surrounded with dust and misery. The time is come for me to
trample on the stars that encircle the pole, mounting beyond the sun,
to occupy myself with the mysteries of the heavenly choir, and to be
entirely delivered from the instabilities of this world of change.”
His disciples burst into tears, and he continued--
“There is no remedy hereto, but to die. During life, my pleasure has
been to journey and wander about, in outward space, and in inward
self-exploration. For idle spirits come into the world of material
forms to contemplate the marvels of the horizons, and the wonders of
men’s minds,--to acquire knowledge, and attain to certainty. Through
the gravity of the body I have been impeded in the investigation, and
I shall not be able to travel again. Let me, then, wend my way to the
future state, for here below I have no real companion. My only anxiety
is, to be with my father and grandfather. How long shall I be severed
from them in this world of suffering? I long to behold my grandfather,
and I will certainly depart.”
He then cried aloud. After which he slowly returned to his chamber, and
there continued to moan.
He managed to crawl, as well as he could, to the congregational
service of worship of that Friday at noon. Thence he proceeded to the
mausoleum, kissed the shrine, sang a hymn, performed a holy dance, and
uttered ecstatic cries. He then laid himself down at full length on the
floor, under which he is now buried, and said: “Where the man falls,
there let him be interred. Bury you the deposit of my corpse in this
spot.”
That day was as though the last judgment were at hand. A tempest arose;
all creation, mortal and immortal, seemed to be groaning.
The day following, Saturday, the traces of his malady were but too
visible in ‘Ārif’s features. He strove to battle with it, and to
converse, as if he were in perfect health.
His sickness lasted about five and twenty days. On the twenty-second of
Zū-’l-Hijja there was a violent shock of earthquake.
There was then in Qonya a certain saint, commonly known as “_the
Student_,” a successor of the legist Ahmed. In his youth he had made
himself a great reputation for learning, in all its branches. But, for
forty years, he had been paralysed, and had never risen from his seat,
summer or winter. He was well versed in all mysteries, and now began to
say: “They are taking away the lamp of Qonya! Alas, the world will go
to utter confusion! I, too, will follow after that holy man!”
Shocks followed after shocks of the earthquake; and ‘Ārif exclaimed:
“The hour of departure is at hand! See, the earth yawns for the
mouthful it will make of my body. It shows signs of impatience for its
food!”
He then asked: “Look! what birds are these that are come here?” His
eyes remained fixed for a time on the angelic visions which he now saw.
From time to time he would start, as though about to fly. The assembled
disciples, men and women, wept bitterly. But he again spoke, and said--
“Sheykhs, be not troubled! Even as my descent into this world was for
the regulation of the affairs of your community, so is my existence
of equal advantage to you, and I will at all times be with you, never
absent from you. Even in the other world will I be with you. Here
below, separation is a thing unavoidable. In the other world there is
union without disrupture, and junction without a parting. Let me go
without a pang. To outward appearance, I shall be absent; but in truth,
I shall not be away from you. So long as a sword is in its sheath, it
cuts not; but, when it shall be drawn, you shall see its effects. From
this day forward, I dash my fist through the curtain that veils the
invisible world; and my disciples shall hear the clash of the blows.”
As he spake these words, his eldest son, Shāh-Zāda, and his own
half-brother, Chelebī ‘Ābid, entered the room. Sheykh Eflākī asked him
what commands he had to give for them. ‘Ārif replied: “They belong to
the Lord, and have no longer a relation to me; He will take care of
them.”
Eflākī now asked: “And what are your wishes with respect to me, your
most humble servant?” The answer was: “Do thou remain in the service
of the mausoleum. Forsake it not. Go not elsewhere. That which I have
commanded thee to do, as to collecting in writing all the memoirs
of my ancestors and family, that do thou in all diligence until its
completion. So mayest thou be approved of the Lord, and blessed by His
saints.”
All wept.
‘Ārif now recited some verses; pronounced thrice the holy name of God,
with a sigh; recited some more verses; and then, between the noon and
afternoon hours of worship, having recited two short chapters of the
Qur’ān, he departed, in peace and rejoicing, to the centre of his
existence, on Tuesday, the twenty-fourth day of Zū-’l-Hijja, A.H. 719
(5th February, A.D. 1320). Unto God be all glory, now and for ever!
He was buried on the 25th, where he had himself indicated, by the side
of his grandfather. His half-brother ‘Ābid succeeded him.