What is this thou hast wrought on a departing soul?
A soul whereon the Angel of Death attends.[1]
Thy tyranny forced his presence, and in journeying
They wrestled till the soul burst its bonds.
And, by Allâh! wer't said to me, Commit iniquity,
And the world and what it holds shall reward thee;
Surely I had said, No, for I fear retribution;
And, No, wer't to bring me the same twice-told.
But for bashfulness I had shown who filled that dwelling—
My heart; and had discovered the wishes of the beloved.
And I was grieved at his conduct, and said to the servant, "Let no one who brings another letter to you escape from your hands."
Now the time for the pilgrimage was near, and whilst I was descending from Mount Arafat,[2] behold!
- ↑ Muhammadans believe that a tree grows in Heaven upon every leaf of which a man's name is written. When death is at hand, the leaf on which the dying man's name is inscribed falls to the ground, and is picked up by Azrael, the Angel of Death, who then proceeds to the abode of the sick man and awaits the parting of soul and body. The soul is supposed to come from the feet, upwards; the last spot where it rests, ere making its final exit through the mouth, being the clavicular bones. The words which I have rendered respectively "departing soul" and "burst its bonds" are, literally, "soul hanging upon the clavicle," and "broke" or "burst away from the clavicle."
When the soul leaves the body and is taken by Azrael, if it has belonged to a good man the Angel takes it in his hand up to Heaven; but if to a bad man, he receives it upon the point of his spear.
- ↑ One of the ceremonies observed by those performing the pilgrimage to Mekkah, is a visit to Arafat, a mountain near
