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

Kawsar the heavenly fount of divine grace mentioned in Koran 
108: 1.
Khezr
figure usually identified with Enoch/Elias, described in the Koran
Glossary of Proper Names
268

---

(
18: 65) as someone who has been taught knowledge by God’s presence.
He is the archetypal spiritual guide in the Su
fi tradition. The Koranic
story about Khezr (
18: 65–82) describes Moses as seeking to become his
disciple in order to learn some of his special knowledge. Moses is
warned that he does not have the patience required, but is 
finally
accepted on the condition that he should not question Khezr about
anything. Moses fails to live up to his promise to be patient three times,
after witnessing Khezr make a hole in someone else’s boat, kill a boy for
no apparent reason and repair a wall in a village after they are both
abused by the inhabitants. Khezr dismisses Moses, but reveals to him
the reasons for his actions, each of which was the ful
filment of God’s
will and the means of bringing about a better outcome for His devout
followers.
Layli the object of 
majnun’s excessive love. Layli (also known as Layla)
and Majnun are the archetypal pair of lovers in the Arabo-Persian
literary tradition.
Loqman a sage and ascetic, after whom Koran 
31 has been named, since
he is mentioned there. He is attributed in particular with various
proverbs and fables and has often been identi
fied with Aesop.
Majnun (lit. ‘the madman’), the name given to Qays, the lover of 
layli,
after he fell madly in love with her.
Mecca city in western Arabia where the 
kaaba is located and the
Prophet Mohammad was born. After the start of his mission,
Mohammad and his followers were ridiculed and persecuted by the
Meccans, and so eventually, in 
622 ce, they migrated northwards to
medina. Towards the end of his life Mohammad led his army in a
successful conquest of 
mecca, during which the kaaba was rid of its
idols and reclaimed as a monotheistic place of worship.
Medina city to the north of 
mecca to which the Prophet Mohammad
and his early followers migrated in 
622 ce after suffering persecution in
their home town. This migration marks the start of the Muslim, or
hejri, lunar calendar. Mohammad became the political leader of
Medina, and from this base took control of the whole of western
Arabia, including Mecca itself.