The Dabistan

91

teenth year,they were found to be dumb; which made
it evident, that letters and language are not natural
to man, that is, cannot be used unless they have
been acquired by instruction, and it is then only
that the use of conversation becomes possible.
From this the conclusion was drawn, that the world
is very ancient, and language of a long date, whence
the Brahmans derive arguments founded upon rea-
son and testimony for the truth of their religion and
the futility of others.

The crown of the pious Shaikh Taj-ed-din, the son
of Shaikh Zakria Jondeheni Dahluvi, explained the
exterior rites of the mystic doctrine; the system of
the unity of the real being; and the precepts of the
religion of Pharaoh, which is the Fes us ul hikem, the
" bezels of philosophers/'1 and the superiority of
hope over fear. His Majesty Akbar liked the mode
in which the Kings of Ajem performed worship; the
Sufis, acknowledging holy personages as represent-
ing the Khalifs of the age, used to prostrate them-
selves before them, touching the ground with their
foreheads; this was intended to mark the secret
meaning that the angels had once adored Adam.
The truth is, that the wise are the terrestrial angels,
who worship an holy personage as a Khalifaih, " vi-
" car," of God; and for having attained to this dig-

1 This is a work of Mohi eddin Ibn Arabi, who died in the year of the
Hejira 638 (A. D. 4240), of whom hereafter.