Page images
PDF
EPUB

seventy thousand entered it, as they had entered the first. But it happened to them as it had happened to the first: when they began their. Paganism, it turned over upon them. Now their king was not with them. Therefore, when he saw this, he assembled them a third time, and said unto them, What think ye? Who said, We think that our Lord is not well pleased with us, because we have not offered unto him abundantly; therefore he has destroyed what we have done therefore we should greatly wish to build a third. They then built a third, until they thought they had carried it to the greatest possible height; which having done, he assembled the Christians, and said unto them, Do ye observe any defect? Who said, None, except that we must surround it with crosses of gold and silver. Then all the people entered it, to read and cite (sacred things). Having bathed and perfumed themselves, and having entered it, they began to practise their associating Paganism, as the others had done before them; whereupon, down fell the third building upon them. Hereupon the king again summoned them together, and asked their counsel about what he should do. But their dread was very great; and, whilst they were deliberating, there came up to them a very old man, in a white robe and a black turban : his back

was bent double, and he was leaning upon a staff. So he said, O Christian people, listen to me! listen to me! for I am the oldest of any of you in years, and have now come forth from among the retired votaries of religion, in order to inform you that, with respect to this place, all its possessors are accursed, and all holiness hath departed from it, and hath been transferred to this (other) place. I will therefore point out this as the place wherein to build the Church of the Resurrection. I will show you the spot; but you will never see me after this day, for ever. Do therefore with a good will that which I shall tell you. Thus he cheated them, and augmented their accursed state, and commanded them to cut up the Rock, and to build with its stones upon the place which he commanded them. So, whilst he was talking with them, he became concealed; and they saw him no more. Thereupon they increased in their infidelity, and said, This is the Great Word. Then they demolished the Mosques, and carried away the columns and the stones, and all the rest, and built therewith the Church of the Resurrection, and the Church which is in the valley of Hinnom. Moreover, this cursed old man commanded them, "When ye have finished their building upon this place, then take that place whose owners are accursed, and whence all holiness hath departed, to

be a common sewer to receive your dung." By this they gratified their Lord. Also, they did this, as follows:-At certain seasons, all the filth and excrement was sent in vessels from Constantinople, and was at a certain time all thrown upon the Rock, until God awoke our prophet Muhammad (the peace and blessing of God be with him!), and brought him by night thereunto: which he did, on account of its peculiar consecration, and on account of the greatness of its superexcellence. We learn also, that God, on the day of judgment, will change the Sakhrá into white coral, enlarging it to extend over heaven and earth: then shall men go from that Rock to heaven or hell, hell, according to that great word, "There shall be a time when this earth shall change into another earth, and the heaven shall turn white; the soil shall be of silver; no pollution shall ever dwell thereon." Now from Aísh, (may the satisfying favour of God rest upon him!) I said, O apostle of God, on that day when this earth shall become another earth, and this sky shall change, where shall men be on that day? He replied, Upon the bridge Al Sirát. Again, a certain divine says, That, in the Law, God says to the Rock of the Holy Abode, Thou art my seat; thou art near to me: from thy foundation have I raised up the heavens, and from beneath thee have

I stretched forth the earth; and all the distant inaccessible mountains are beneath thee. Who dies within thee, is as if he died within the world of Heaven; and who dies around thee, is as if he died within thee. Days and nights shall not cease to succeed, until I send down upon thee a Light of heaven, which shall obliterate all the (traces) of the Infidels of the sons of Adam, and all their footsteps. Also, I will send upon thee the hierarchy of angels and prophets; and I will wash thee until I leave thee like milk; and I will fix upon thee a wall, twelve miles above the thick-gathering clouds of earth, and also a hedge of light. By my hand will I insure to thee thy support and thy virtue: upon thee will I cause to descend my spirits and my angels, to worship within thee; nor shall any one of the sons of Adam enter within thee until the day of judgment. And whosoever shall look upon this Chapel from afar, shall say, Blessed be the face of him who devoutly worships and adores in thee! Upon thee will I place walls of light, and a hedge of thick cloudsfive walls of ruby and pearl. Also, from the Book of Psalms, "Great and glorious art thou, thou threshing-floor! Unto thee shall be the general assemblage from thee shall all men rise from death." Moreover, from the same author, God says to the Rock of the Holy Abode, Who loveth thee,

him will I love; who loveth thee, loveth me; who hateth thee, him will I hate. From year to year my eyes are upon thee; nor will I forget thee until I forget my eyes. Whoso prayeth within thee two Rakás, him will I cause to cast off all his sins, and to be as guiltless as I brought him from his mother's womb, unless he return to his sinsbeginning them afresh. This is also a tradition of old standing :-I solemnly engage and promise to every one who dwells therein, that, all the days of his life, the bread of corn and olive-oil never shall fail him; nor shall the days and the nights fail to bring that time, when, out of the supremacy of my bounty, I will cause to descend upon thee the assemblage of man for judgmentthe whole company of risen mortals. There is a tradition, that Mukátil Ibn Sulaiman came to this Temple, to pray, and sat by the gate looking towards the Rock: and we had assembled there in great numbers: he was reading, and we were listening. Then came forward Ali Ibn Bedawwee, stamping terribly with his slippers upon the pavement. This greatly afflicted him; and he said to those around him, Make an opening for me. Then the people opened on each side; and he made a threatening motion with his hand, to warn him, and prevent this stamping; saying, Tread more gently! That place, at which Mukátil

« PreviousContinue »