The Dabistan

198

existing necessary Being; he then felt such delight
as he had never experienced before; he knew that
the self-existing necessary Being is worthy of all
prayers, but he felt at the same time that he could
not express his prayers with the tongue, because an
arrangement of letters is required for every thing
which falls from the tongue, but that which has no
connection except that of parts and the whole, is
not suitable to the true, necessary, and self-existing
Being, as he is not conceivable, either in parts or in
a whole. The prophet knew that his prayer could
not properly come from the tongue^ as it is no bu-
siness of the senses, but belongs properly to reason ;
but reason knew that an object highly deserving to
be praised requires a praiser worthy of it, one whose
knowledge may be adequate to the power of the
being to be praised, so that the speech may prove
suitable to the intention. The self-existent neces-
sary Being is an object of unity without an equal,
therefore the praise of any one will never -be worthy
of him. Besides, the prophet trusted also to God's
knowledge, for he is all knowledge, and the know-
ledge of him is the theme of prayers to his being
without letters and sound, and not by reason : he
himself is his own ornament; he himself is his elo-
quence.

What the prophet further said: " The word
" came to me: « What dost thou wish?' I said: