The Dabistan

199'

" '* Leave io ask whatever comes into my mind, so
" ' that my difficulties may-be removed.' " This
means: that when God asked : " What dost thou
<£ wish," and i said " leave," it was knowledge 1
wished : because in this journey no other consider-
ation but that of pure reason had remained, which
was to approach the majesty of the self-existent
Being, and to understand his unity, which cannot
be obtained but by the gift of knowledge. The pro-
phet wished to be rendered worthy of him, and by
full knowledge to acquire the dignity required, that
he might then exhibit every difficulty that occurred,
and receive a categorical answer. For the guidance
of mankind, he composed the rules of the law in
words which came suitably to the ears of men, so
that at the same time the meaning of them was fixed,
and the veil of advice remained upon such things as
are not required to be known; what proved also^an
assistance to that knowledge, was the journey, con-
sequently to which the law was given, and the ac-
count of which was drawn up for publication in
such a manner, that the sense of it was obvious to
none but to the investigators of truth.

The prophet also said : cc When I had performed
64 all this, and returned home, on account of the
" rapidity of my journey, I found the bed-clothes
ct still warm." That is: he performed a journey
of reflection, and travelled with his mind; the pur-