Revised translation of the Chahár maqála : ("Four discourses") of Nizámí-i-ʼArúdí of Samarqand, followed by an abridged translation of Mírzá Muhammad's notes to the Persian text / by Edward G. Browne.

Nizami Aruzi

Date:: 1921

Credit: Revised translation of the Chahár maqála : ("Four discourses") of Nizámí-i-ʼArúdí of Samarqand, followed by an abridged translation of Mírzá Muhammad's notes to the Persian text / by Edward G. Browne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$telligence he became king over all animals, and brought all things under his control. Thus from the mineral world he made jewels, gold and silver his adornment; from iron, zinc, copper, lead and tin he fashioned his utensils and vessels; from the vegetable kingdom he made his food, raiment and bedding; and from the animal world he obtained for himself steeds and beasts of burden. And from all three kingdoms he chose out medica¬ ments wherewith to heal himself. Whereby did there accrue to him such pre-eminence? By this, that he understood abstract ideas, and, by means of these, recognized God. And whereby did he know God ? By knowing himself; for “He who knoweth himself \ knoweth his Lordk So this kingdom [of man] became divided into three classes. The first is that which is proximate to the Animal Kingdom, such as the wild men of the waste and the mountain, whose aspiration doth not more than suffice to secure their own liveli¬ hood by seeking what is to their advantage and warding off . what is to their detriment. The second class compriseth the inhabitants of towns and cities, who possess civilisation, power of co-operation, (v-) and aptitude to discover crafts and arts; but whose scientific attainments are limited to the organisation of such association as subsists between them, in order that the different classes1 may continue to exist. The third class com¬ priseth such as are independent of these things, and whose occupation, by night and by day, in secret and in public, is to reflect, “Who are we, for what reason did we come into existence, and Who hath brought us into being?” In other words, they hold debate concerning the real essences of things, reflect on their coming, and anxiously consider their departure, saying, “ How have we come? Whither shall we go?” This class, again, is subdivided into two sorts ; first, those who reach the essence of this object by the help of masters and by laborious toil, voracious study, reading and writing; and such are called “ Philosophers.” But there is yet another sort who, without master or book, reach the extreme limit of this problem, and these are called “ Prophets.” Now the peculiar virtues of the Prophet are three:—first, that, without instruction, he knows all knowledges2; secondly, that he gives information concerning yesterday and to-morrow otherwise than by analogical reasoning ; and thirdly, that he hath such psychical power that from whatever body he will he taketh the form and produceth another form, which thing none can do save such as are conformed to the Angelic World. There¬ fore in the Human World none is above him, and his command 1 Or perhaps “races.” The word is plural of , “species.” 2 This is what is called ‘Ilm-i-Ladunni, or knowledge directly derived from God.$