[Tariqas] King Solomon and the Angel of Death

[IrvingK57@aol.com]

Salaam Alaikum Dear Brothers and Sisters:
   Here is a short excerpt for your enjoyment.
 
Ya Haqq,
 
Irving



King  Solomon and the Angel of Death 

“And now listen, those that have ears, to a tale of  Solomon the King.  Yes, 
Solomon, the  mightiest and wisest ruler of the earth that ever was or shall 
be.  Wealthy beyond measure was Solomon, and  with such wisdom as only Allah 
may bestow. 
"And lo, he commanded the wind, and both men and Jinn, birds and  animals.  
All were servants unto  him. Yet he lost favor in the sight of God, for neither 
wealth nor power nor  wisdom brought him enlightenment. 
"One day, while King Solomon was walking alone in the royal garden, he  came 
upon Azrael, the Angel of Death, who was pacing back and forth with  a most 
worried expression.  Solomon  knew well the face of the Deadly Servant, for with 
the sight given unto him he  had seen Death often, hovering over battles, or 
in the tents of the ill and  wounded.  When Solomon asked what  troubled him, 
the Angel sighed, saying that he had on his list of those destined  for the 
next world two scribes of Solomon, the brothers Elihoreph and  Alijah. 
"Now Solomon was grieved at the thought of losing his scribes, for he had  
known them since childhood and loved them as brothers.  So he ordered the Jinn 
to carry  Elihoreph and Aljah to the fabled city of Luz, the only place on 
earth  where Death has no power.  Instantly  the Jinn did as he commanded, but the 
two scribes died at the very moment  they reached the gates of that city. 
" The next day Azrael appeared before Solomon. The Angel of Death  was 
greatly pleased and said, ' I thank thee, O King, for speeding thy  servants to the 
place appointed.  The fate destined for them was to die at the gates of that 
far city, but  I had no idea how they were to traverse so great a  distance.' 
"Now the King wept exceedingly, torn between sorrow and wrath at the  death 
of his friends and the inescapable doom of men.  And Azrael wondered greatly at 
 this. 
' Why do you weep, O Lord of the World?'  
' For the long friends of my  youth who are with me no more,' said the King.  
   ‘Have you no pity for  those whose life you end?'   
' Pity?'  exclaimed Azrael scornfully.  'You weep for the loss of 
their  companionship. Your true sorrow is for yourself, and your wrath is 
truly  self-pity. Alas, it has darkened your wisdom.  Death is the most sublime 
gift of  God, distilling from this life of fleeting joys and many sorrows that  
single drop which is the soul. Of such wine, O King, is poured the Sea of 
Light.  Praise Allah that I, who am to you the Angel of Death, am in truth the 
Angel of  Mercy.' “
 
Excerpt  from Master of the Jinn: A Sufi Novel
_http://www.masterofthejinn.com_ (http://www.masterofthejinn.com/)  


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