Jesus (on him be peace) remained for sixty days without eating, engaged
in prayer; then he began to think of bread and behold a loaf of bread
appeared between his hands; then he sat weeping because he had forgotten
his prayers. And behold an old man came to him and Jesus said: ‘God bless
you, O servant of God. Call upon God Most High, for I too was in a sad
condition and I thought of bread until my prayer departed.’ Then the
old man prayed: ‘O God, if thou knowest any occasion when the thought
of bread entered my head when I was praying do not forgive me!’ Then he
said to Jesus: ‘When anything is brought to me to eat I eat it without
even thinking what it is.’” (Vol. III, p. 61.) The following story seems
to be based on the injunction of the Gospel “to pluck out the eye” that
offends: “It is related of Jesus (on him be peace) that he once went out
to pray for rain and when the people gathered together Jesus said to
them, ‘Whosoever of you hath committed a sin let him turn back,’ so they
all turned away and there was no one left in the cave with him save one.
And Jesus said unto him, ‘Have you any sin?’ He replied: ‘By God, I do
not know of any except that one day when I was praying a woman passed by
me and I looked upon her with this eye and when she had passed I put my
finger in my eye and plucked it out and followed her to ask her pardon.’
Then Jesus said to him, ‘Call upon God that I may believe in your
sincerity.’ Then the man prayed and the heavens were covered with clouds
and the rain poured down.” (Vol. II, p. 217.)
The following stories are related of the miracle-working Christ: “Said
the disciples to Jesus: ‘What do you think of the _dinar_-piece (money)?’
They said: ‘We think it is good.’ He said: ‘But as for me I value it and
ashes the same.’” (Vol. III, p. 161.) “It was said to the Prophet that
Jesus (upon him be peace) used to walk upon the water. He replied: ‘Had
he still more striven after holiness, he would have walked on the air.’”
(Vol. IV, p. 71.) “It is related that a certain robber waylaid travellers
among the children of Israel for forty years. Jesus passed by that way
and behind him walked a saint of the worshippers of the people of Israel,
one of his disciples. Said the robber to himself: ‘This is the Prophet
of God who passes by and with him one of his disciples. If I should come
down I would be the third.’” He then goes on to say that the robber
tried to show his humility by following not Christ but his disciple.
Jesus rebukes them both because of their sins. (Vol. IV, p. 110.) “It
is related that Jesus (on him be peace) passed by a blind man who was
a leper and lame of both feet because of paralysis and his flesh was
consumed by leprosy, and he was saying: ‘Praise be to God who has kept me
in good health and saved me from many things which have befallen others
of his creatures.’ Then Jesus said to him: ‘O thou friend, from what kind
of affliction do I see that you are free?’ and he replied: ‘O Spirit of
God, I am better than those in whose heart God has not put anything of
his knowledge and his grace.’ And Jesus said: ‘You have spoken truly.
Stretch forth your hand,’ and he stretched forth his hand and became of
perfect health both as to his body and his appearance, for God had taken
away all his sickness. So he accompanied Jesus and worshipped with him.”
(Vol. IV, p. 250.)
Al-Ghazali often pictures the power of Jesus to heal the sick, for Christ
as the Merciful One appeals to Moslems always and everywhere. We have for
example in the _Masnavi-i-Maʾanavi_ this beautiful picture which can be
found in prose, section by section in Al-Ghazali too.
“The house of ʾIsa was the banquet of men of heart,
Ho! afflicted one, quit not this door!
From all sides the people ever thronged,
Many blind and lame, and halt and afflicted,
To the door of the house of ʾIsa at dawn,
That with his breath he might heal their ailments.
As soon as he had finished his orisons,
That holy one would come forth at the third hour.
He viewed these impotent folk, troop by troop,
Sitting at his door in hope and expectation;
He spoke to them, saying, ‘O stricken ones!
The desires of all of you have been granted by God:
Arise, walk without pain or affliction.
Acknowledge the mercy and beneficence of God!’
Then all, as camels whose feet are shackled,
When you loose their feet in the road,
Straightway rush in joy and delight to the halting-place
So did they run upon their feet at his command.”
Many of the miracles, however, are puerile, as in this story: “A certain
man accompanied Jesus the Son of Mary (upon him be peace) and said:
‘I would like to be with you as your companion.’ So they departed and
arrived at the bank of a river and sat down and took their meal. Now they
had three loaves, so they ate two and one remained. Then Jesus arose and
went to the river to drink and returning did not find the remaining loaf.
He said to the man: ‘Who took the loaf?’ He replied: ‘I know not.’ So he
departed with his companion and saw a gazelle with her two young, and
Jesus called one of them and it came to him and he killed it and prepared
it and they ate together. Then he said to the young gazelle: ‘Get up by
God’s will,’ and it arose and departed. And he turned to the man and
said: ‘I ask you in the name of Him who worked this miracle before your
eyes, who took the loaf?’ He answered: ‘I know not.’ So they departed to
a cave and Jesus (upon whom be peace) began to collect the pebbles on the
sand and said: ‘Become bread by God’s permission!’ and they became bread;
then he divided them into three parts and said: ‘A third is for me, a
third is for you and a third is for the man who took the loaf,’ and the
man said: ‘I am he who took the loaf.’ Jesus replied: ‘Take all of it and
depart from me.’” (Vol. III, p. 188.) This story is related by Al-Ghazali
in his chapter on greed and covetousness to show that he who loves this
world cannot be a companion of the saints!
That Jesus was gentle in word and conduct seems to be the lesson taught
in the following two stories: “It is related of Jesus that once a pig
passed by him and he said to it: ‘Go in peace.’ They said to him: ‘O
Spirit of God, why do you say this to a pig?’ He replied: ‘I dislike to
accustom my tongue to use any evil words.’” (Vol. III, p. 87.) “It is
related that Jesus with his disciples once passed the carcase of a dog.
Said the disciples: ‘How noisome is the smell of this dog.’ Said Jesus
(on him be peace): ‘How beautiful is the shine of his white teeth,’ as
if he wanted to rebuke them for abusing the dog and to warn them not to
mention anything of what God has created save at its best.” (Vol. III, p.
150.) This incident is given by Jallal ud Din in poetic form:
“One evening Jesus lingered in the market-place,
Teaching the people parables of truth and grace,
When in the square remote a crowd was seen to rise
And stop with loathing gestures and abhorring cries.
The Master and His meek disciples went to see
What cause for this commotion and disgust could be,
And found a poor dead dog beside the gutter laid:
Revolting sight! at which each face its hate betrayed.
One held his nose, one shut his eyes, one turned away,
And all among themselves began aloud to say,
‘Detested creature! he pollutes the earth and air!’
‘His eyes are bleared!’ ‘His ears are foul!’ ‘His ribs are bare!’
‘In his torn hide there is not a decent shoe-string left!’
‘No doubt the execrable cur was hung for theft!’
Then Jesus spake and dropped on him this saving breath:
‘Even pearls are dark before the whiteness of his teeth!’”
We add the following quotations which set forth the poverty, humility
and homelessness of the Christ taken from Al-Ghazali’s “Precious Pearl”:
“Consider Jesus Christ, for it is related of him that he owned nothing
save one garment of wool which he wore for twenty years and that he took
nothing with him on all his wanderings save a cruse and a rosary and a
comb. One day he saw a man drinking from a stream with his hands, so he
cast away the cruse and did not use it again. He saw another man combing
his beard with his fingers so he threw away his comb and did not use it
again. And Jesus was accustomed to say, ‘My steed is my legs, and my
houses are the caves of the earth, and my food are its vegetables, and
my drink is from its rivers, and my dwelling-place among the sons of
Adam!’” In another connection he writes: “It was said to Jesus: ‘If you
would take possession of a house and live there it would be better for
you,’ and he said: ‘Where are the houses of those who lived before us?’”
(_Ihya_, Vol. III, p. 140.)
A story is related (Vol. IV, p. 326) to show that Christ knew what was in
the hearts of men and could change their purposes by prayer to God. In
this case He makes an old man cease from his work of cleaning the ground,
go to sleep and afterwards return to his work.
Another story is as follows: “It is related that Jesus (upon him be
peace) in his wanderings passed by a man asleep, wrapped up in his
garment. So he wakened him and said: ‘O thou that sleepest! arise
and make mention of God.’ He replied: ‘What do you want from me? I
have forsaken the world to its own.’ Jesus replied: ‘Sleep on then my
beloved.’” (Vol. IV, p. 140.) “It is related concerning Jesus that he sat
in the shade of a wall of a certain man, who saw him and made him get up,
but he replied: ‘You have not made me arise but verily God made me arise.
He does not wish me to delight in the shade by day.’” (Vol. IV, p. 163.)
The least of life’s pleasures is not for the ascetic saint.
“Said John to Jesus (on them be peace): ‘Do not be angry.’ Jesus replied:
‘I am not able to cease from anger altogether for I am human.’ Then said
John: ‘Do not desire property.’ Jesus replied: ‘That is possible.’” (Vol.
III, p. 114.)
He quotes the following prayer of Jesus (Vol. I, p. 222): “Jesus was
accustomed to say to God, ‘O God, I have arisen from my sleep, and am not
able to ward off that which I hate and am not able to possess the benefit
of that which I desire and the matter rests in hands other than mine. And
I have pledged myself to my work and there is no man so poor as I am. O
God, let not mine enemies rejoice over me and let not my friends deal
ill with me, and let not my afflictions come to me in the matter of my
religion. And do not allow the world to occupy my care and do not allow
the unmerciful to overcome me, O Thou Eternal!’”
“It is related concerning Jesus (on him be peace) that God spoke to him
saying: ‘Though you serve me with the worship of the people of heaven and
earth and do not have love towards God in your heart but hatred toward
Him it will not enrich you at all.’” (Vol. II, p. 210.) “God Most High
said to Jesus (on him be peace), ‘Verily when I look upon the secret
thoughts of my servant and do not find in them love either for this
world or the world to come I fill him with my own love and I put him in
my safe-keeping.’” (Vol. IV, p. 258.) In the “Alchemy of Happiness” we
already found allusion to this subject: “Jesus (upon him be peace) saw
the world in the form of an ugly old hag. He asked her how many husbands
she had possessed; she replied that they were countless. He asked whether
they had died or been divorced; she said that she had slain them all. ‘I
marvel,’ he said, ‘at the fools who see what you have done to others,
and still desire you.’” “Jesus (on him be peace) said, ‘The lover of the
world is like a man drinking sea-water; the more he drinks, the more
thirsty he gets, till at last he perishes with thirst unquenched.’”
Al-Ghazali, however, never seems to have drawn the conclusion from
the life of Christ which a careful study of the Gospel would have
made possible. Namely, that a true renunciation of the world is only
possible in the _service of others_ and not by withdrawing from men.
Mohammedan mysticism has always resulted in two evils, as Major Durie
Osborn points out: “It has dug a deep gulf between those who can know
God and those who must wander in darkness, feeding upon the husks of
rites and ceremonies. It has affirmed with emphasis, that only by a
complete renunciation of the world is it possible to attain the true end
of man’s existence. Thus all the best and truest natures—the men who
might have put a soul in the decaying Church of Islam—have been cut off
from their proper task to wander about in deserts and solitary places,
or expend their lives in idle and profitless passivity disguised under
the title of ‘spiritual contemplation.’ (_zikr_) But this has only been
part of the evil. The logical result of Pantheism is the destruction of
the moral law. If God be all in all, and man’s apparent individuality a
delusion of the perceptive faculty, there exists no will which can act,
no conscience which can reprove and applaud.... Thousands of reckless and
profligate spirits have entered the orders of the dervishes to enjoy the
license thereby obtained. Their affectation of piety is simply a cloak
for the practice of sensuality; their emancipation from the ritual of
Islam involves a liberation also from its moral restraints. And _thus
a movement, animated at its outset by a high and lofty purpose, has
degenerated into a fruitful source of ill. The stream which ought to
have expanded into a fertilizing river, has become a vast swamp, exhaling
vapours charged with disease and death._”
Regarding the _teaching_ of Jesus we find the following passages in the
_Ihya_. I have indicated the parallel passages in the New Testament where
possible. Some of them are taken from the Gospel according to Matthew,
especially from the Sermon on the Mount. These are given first and then
the apocryphal sayings, for it is difficult to follow any logical order.
“Said Jesus: ‘If a man come to you when he is fasting let him anoint
his head and wipe his lips that men may not say he is fasting; and if
he gives alms with his right hand let not his left hand know; and if he
prays let him put a curtain over his door, for verily God divines his
trouble even as He does our daily food.’” (Vol. III, p. 203.)[87]
“Said Jesus (upon him be peace), ‘Whosoever shall do and teach shall be
called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.’” (Vol. I, p. 6; cf. Matt. 5: 19.)
“Said Jesus, ‘Do not hang pearls on the necks of swine; for wisdom is
better than pearls.’” (Vol. I, p. 43; cf. Matt. 7: 6.) “Said Jesus, ‘How
long will ye describe the right road to those who are going astray and
ye yourselves remain with those who are perplexed?’” (Vol. I, p. 44; cf.
Matt. 23: 13.)
“Said Jesus, ‘The teachers of evil are like a big stone which has fallen
on the mouth of a well so that the water cannot reach the sown fields.’”
(Vol. I, p. 45; cf. Matt. 23: 13.)
“Said Jesus, ‘How can that man belong to the people of wisdom who from
the beginning of his life until the end looks only after the things of
the world?’” (Vol. I, p. 46; cf. Matt. 6: 33.)
Again he makes God address Jesus as follows: ‘O Son of Mary, preach to
yourself for if you preach to yourself you will be able to preach to man
and if not fear him.’ (Vol. I, p. 47.)
“Said Jesus (on him be peace), ‘Blessed are those who humble themselves
in this world, for they shall be the possessors of thrones on the day of
judgment. Blessed are those who make peace between men in this world, for
they shall inherit Paradise on the day of resurrection. Blessed are they
who are poor in this world, for they shall behold God Most High on the
day of resurrection.’” (Vol. III, p. 237; cf. Matt. 5: 3-9.)
“Some one said to Jesus: ‘Let me go with you on your wanderings.’ He
replied: ‘Dispose of all that you have and follow me.’” (Vol. IV, p. 170;
cf. Luke 9: 57 and Matt. 19: 21.) Here two passages are mixed.
“Said Jesus (on him be peace), ‘It has been told of ancient times: a
tooth for a tooth and a nose for a nose; but I say unto you, do not
return evil for evil, but whosoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn
to him the left also; and whosoever desireth you to go with him a mile go
with him twain; and whosoever taketh away your cloak give him your inner
garment also.’” (Vol. IV, p. 52; cf. Matt. 5: 30-41.) These verses seem
to be fairly accurate quotations, though not without some confusion, from
some translation of the Sermon on the Mount.
“Said the disciples to Jesus (on him be peace), ‘Behold this mosque how
beautiful it is.’ He replied: ‘O my nation! O my nation! In truth I say
unto you, God will not suffer a stone to remain upon a stone in it but
he will destroy it because of the sins of its people. Truly God does not
care for gold and silver nor does he care for these stones at which ye
marvel; but the things which God loves most are pure hearts, with them
God can build up the earth, and if they are not good they are wasted.’”
(“_Ihya_,” Vol. III, p. 288; cf. Matt. 24: 2.)
“Said Jesus: ‘Do not take the world for your master, for she will make
you her slave. Lay up your treasures with him who will not lose them.
For he who lays up treasure in the earth fears that which will destroy
them; but he who has treasures with God does not fear for anything that
may injure them’ (Matt. 6: 9-21). And Jesus said also: ‘O company of the
Apostles, behold I have poured out the world upon the ground, therefore
do not take hold of it again after me, for the evil of this world is
that men disobey God in it. And the evil of the world also is that the
other world cannot be obtained without abandoning the present. Therefore
pass through the world but do not build in it. Know that the root of all
sin is the love of the world and perchance the desire of an hour will
cause those who follow it to lose the other world altogether.’ He also
said: ‘I have cast the world before you and ye have sat upon its back, do
not therefore suffer kings or women to dispute its possession with you.
As for kings, do not dispute with them for its possession, for they will
not give it back to you. And as for women, guard yourselves against them
by prayer and fasting.’” (Vol. III, p. 139.) “Said Jesus: ‘The love of
this world and of the world to come cannot abide in the same heart even
as water and fire cannot abide in one vessel.’” (Vol. III, p. 140.)
“Said Jesus (on him be peace), ‘O ye teachers of wickedness! Ye fast and
pray and give alms and do not what ye command others and ye teach that
which ye do not understand. How evil is that which ye do. Ye repent only
with words but your deeds are without value. In vain do ye purify your
skins while your hearts are covered with evil. I say unto you, be not as
the sieve from which the good flour passes out and all that remains in it
are the siftings. Thus ye make the truth to pass out of your mouths, but
deceit remains in your hearts, O servants of the world! How can any one
understand the other world while his desires cling to this? Of a truth I
say unto you that your hearts shall weep because of your deeds. Ye have
put the world upon your tongues and trampled upon good deeds. Of a truth
I say unto you, ye have corrupted your future life, for ye are more in
love with the good things of this world than of the good things of the
world to come. Which of the children suffers greater loss than ye do,
if only ye knew it! Woe be to you! How long will ye describe the right
way to those who are in darkness and ye yourselves remain in the place
of doubt? It is as if ye invite the children of the world to forsake its
pleasure in order to leave it for yourselves a little while. Woe be to
you! What benefit is it to the darkened house if the candle be put on its
roof while the rooms of the house remain in darkness? In the same way ye
will not be enriched if the light of knowledge is on your lips, while
your hearts remain in darkness. O ye servants of the world! what of your
righteousness or your freedom? Perchance the world will pluck you up by
the roots and cast you upon your faces and drag you in the dust. It will
expose your sins upon your foreheads, then it will drive you before it
until you are delivered up to the angel of judgment, every one of you
naked. Then shall you be punished by your evil deeds.’” (Vol. III, p.
183; cf. Matt. 23: 1-27.)
“Do not be anxious about the food of to-morrow, for perhaps to-morrow
will be your time of death.” (Vol. IV, p. 330; cf. Matt. 6: 34.)
“Behold the bird, it does not sow nor reap nor lay up store and God Most
High provides for it.” (Vol. IV, p. 190; cf. Matt. 6: 26.)
“Said Jesus (on him be peace), ‘He is not wise who does not rejoice
when he enters upon trials and sicknesses of the body and loss of his
possessions; for in it he may find atonement for his sins.’” (Vol. IV, p.
205; cf. Matt. 5: 10.)
“It is related of Jesus that he said: ‘If you see a young man
passionately fond of prayer to God you will know that he has escaped all
temptations.’” (Vol. IV, p. 221; cf. Matt 26: 41.) The reference might be
to Christ’s words in the Garden of Gethsemane.
“Said Jesus (on him be peace), ‘Serve God by hating the people who
transgress, and draw near to God by departing from them. Seek the
good-will of God by hating them.’ They said to him: ‘O spirit of God,
with whom then shall we keep company?’ He answered them: ‘Keep company
with those who make you remember God and those whose words improve your
conduct and those whose example makes you earnest for the world to
come.’” (Vol. II, p. 110.)
“It is related of Jesus (on him be peace) that he said to the children
of Israel: ‘Where does that which ye sow grow?’ They replied: ‘In the
good ground,’ and he said: ‘Verily I say unto you, wisdom does not grow
except in the heart which is good soil.’” (Vol. IV, p. 256; cf. Matt. 13:
1-9.)
“Said Jesus (on him be peace), ‘Truly the harvest does not grow on the
mountain but in the plain. Thus wisdom works in the heart of those that
are humble and not in the heart of the proud.’” (Vol. III, p. 240; cf.
Matt. 13: 23.)
“Said Jesus (on him be peace), ‘Fine garments make proud looks.’” (Vol.
III, p. 247.)
“Said Jesus (on him be peace), ‘What ails you that ye come in the
garments of monks and your hearts are the hearts of ravening wolves?
Wear the garments of monks if you wish but humble your hearts with godly
fear.’” (Vol. III, p. 247; cf. Matt. 7: 15.)
“Said Jesus (on him be peace), ‘O company of disciples, call upon God
Most High that he may make light for you this terror, namely, death. For
I fear death in such a fashion that I stand afraid of the same.’” Is it
possible that Al-Ghazali here refers to the agony in Gethsemane? The
chapter in which this passage occurs is entitled “The terrors of death.”
(Vol. IV, p. 324; cf. Matt. 26: 38.)
We now give other “sayings” of Jesus, as Al-Ghazali himself does, in
somewhat confused order. Although not quotations or even misquotations
from the Gospels, they are of interest as completing the list and also
because they show what Al-Ghazali and other Moslems thought was the
teaching of Jesus the Prophet.
“Said Jesus (on him be peace), ‘How many a sound body and beautiful face
and eloquent tongue will to-morrow cry out in the fires of hell!’” (Vol.
IV, p. 383.)
“Said Jesus, ‘Which of you can build a house upon the waves of the sea?
Such is the world; therefore do not take it as an abiding place.’” (Vol.
III, p. 141.)
“They said to Jesus, ‘Teach us the secret of the love of God.’ He
replied: ‘Hate the world and God will love you.’” (Vol. III, p. 141; cf.
James 4: 4.)
“Said Jesus, ‘O my disciples, be satisfied with the least of the world
as long as your religion is at peace even as the people of the world
are satisfied with the least of religion and their possessions are at
peace.’” (Vol. III, p. 142.)
“Said Jesus, ‘O thou who seekest the world for the sake of pure gold, the
forsaking of the world is greater treasure.’” (Vol. III, p. 142.)
“They asked Jesus (on him be peace) which is the best of good works. He
replied: ‘To accept whatever God does with pleasure and to love him.’”
(Vol. IV, p. 258.)
“Said Jesus the Son of Mary (on him be peace), ‘Woe to the lover of this
world how soon he shall die and leave it and all that is in it. The world
deceives him and he trusts it and has confidence in it, etc.’” (Vol.
III, p. 141; cf. Luke 12: 21.)
“Said Jesus (on him be peace), ‘Mortify then your bodies that your soul
may see your Lord.’” (Vol. III, p. 56; cf. Rom. 8: 13.)
“Said Jesus (on him be peace), ‘The likeness of him who teaches good
works and does not do them is that of a woman who commits adultery in
secret and then the result of her crime becomes evident to all around her
from her condition.’” (Vol. I, p. 48.)
“Said Jesus (on him be peace), ‘Whosoever turns away a beggar from his
house the angels will not visit that dwelling for seven days.’” (Vol. II,
p. 162.) This saying is often quoted by Moslems to-day. They all believe
Jesus was the friend of the poor and needy.
“Said Jesus (upon him be peace), ‘Blessed is he to whom God has taught
his book; he will not die a proud oppressor.’” (Vol. III, p. 235.)
“Said Jesus (on him be peace), ‘Blessed is the eye which sleeps and
does not regard transgression but is wide-awake for that which is not
sinful.’” (Vol. IV, p. 260.)
“The disciples said to Jesus (on him be peace), ‘What is the best of good
works?’ He replied: ‘That which is done to God and in which you seek the
praise of no one else.’” (Vol. IV, p. 273.)