The Masnavi, Book One (Oxford World's Classics)

Notes to pages 
221–231
264

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3828 The testimony of a slave . . . at court: According to Islamic Law, the
testimony of a witness is valid only if he is free and not a slave.
3839 ‘We’ve sent you as a witness’: Koran 33: 45, addressing the Prophet
Mohammad, who is described as ‘a witness’ in the sense of a warner to
His community about their duty to God and Judgment Day.
3843 ‘He’: see note to v. 3467.
3847 The Prophet once Omar . . . acceptance still: Omar is said to have
approached the Prophet to kill him, but ended up returning from his
house a convert to Islam.
3874 We made it be forgotten: Koran 2: 106. See note to v. 1683.
3878 The Water of Life: see note to v. 578.
3887 Receives God’s bounty and feels joy: Koran 3: 169–70, describing those
who have died serving in God’s way.
3891 Yes!: Koran 7: 172. See note to v. 514.
3903 ‘There’s life through your retaliation’: Koran 2: 178, in a passage
concerning the legal issues related to punishment for murder.
3915 Don’t let a heart you’ve blessed now go astray: Koran 3: 8, where it occurs
in the context of a prayer.
3933 ‘Myself! Myself!’: this is part of a tradition which reports that the
Prophet Mohammad will be able to intercede for Muslims, while the
other prophets will be unable to intercede for their own communities.
When asked for intercession the other prophets respond by saying
‘Myself !’ which is taken to mean that they feel concerned about their
own welfare and therefore cannot intercede for anyone else.
3937 Whoever’s refuge . . . as Zoroastrians has become the same: in medieval
Persian Su
fi literature Zoroastrians, or Magians, are associated (nega-
tively) with the worship of 
fire and dualism, the characteristics which
Rumi refers to in this verse.
3945 ‘Don’t cause yourself to perish’: Koran 2: 195, where it refers to spending
one’s wealth excessively for God’s sake.
3948 ‘Now they’re still living’: Koran 2: 154 and 3: 169, concerning those who
have been slain serving in the way of God as martyrs.
3951 ‘We will return to God’: Koran 2: 156. See note to v. 1149.
3961–2 Though he may strive . . . the caliphate’s tree too: the final two couplets
of this section allude to the controversy over successorship to the
Prophet Mohammad. Ali was only the fourth to become his political
successor, as caliph, despite a large following who considered him to be
clearly the best quali
fied
3965 houris: female denizens of Paradise.
3968 No prophet can . . . comprehend!: this is taken from a saying of the
Prophet Mohammad in which he describes his unique privilege of
Notes to pages 
232–240
265

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‘spending time’ with God, a privilege which no other prophet, nor the
angels, has been given.
3983–8 ‘O Jewish people!’ in the book God said . . . ‘Don’t put us all to shame now
please!’: this anecdote alludes to Koran 
2: 94 and 62: 6–8, where the Jews
are challenged to wish for death if they truly believe that they alone are
favoured by God and will go to paradise.
3999 Eye-seeking Lamp: used here as an image to represent God, who seeks
out discerning eyes so He can be known.
4005–7 Alas . . . so far apart: in the Muslim tradition the forbidden food that
Adam ate is usually identi
fied as grains of wheat (or barley), rather than
an apple.
Notes to pages 
241–243
266

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G L O S S A RY O F P RO P E R NA M E S
Aad (pronounced ‘Od’ in Persian) one of the vanquished nations
referred to in the Koran (e.g. 
7: 69). They lived just after Noah’s time
and became proud because of their prosperity, which led them to reject
the prophet 
hud, who had been sent to them. They were destroyed in
the end by a roaring wind.