The King Began to Tremble

The King Began to Tremble

1986 12 December 8 The King Began to Tremble (322) The Islamic Caliphate had seen in its first phase, a vast expansion. Yet, up till the reign of the Umayyads there was only one centre, Damascus – of this expanding empire. In the wake of the Abbasid revolution, a separate state came to be established in Andalusia, thus dividing Islamic State into two, with two separate centres. Soon afterwards a third, independent, political centre emerged in Morocco. Some time later Egypt too founded an independent state. Thus the Islamic State continued to split into independent Muslim States one after the other. A great Muslim empire was divided into many smaller kingdoms.

The Sasanid Kingdom was one these independent states. This emerged in what is now Iran and lasted for 150 years.

One ruler of this Sasanid empire was Nasir ibn Ahmed (301-331 A.H.). It is related that after annexing the Nishapur State to his Kingdom, he came to Nishapur to hold his court. After taking his seat on the throne, he asked for the inaugural ceremony to be started with the recitation of some verses from the Quran. A religious scholar began to recite the Quran from a chapter entitled AI-Mumin. When he reached this part:

“The day when they shall rise up (from their graves) with nothing hidden from God. And to whom is the sovereignty on that day? To Allah, the one, the Mighty” (40 : 16)., the king began to tremble with fear, and awe, and he came down from the throne, horror-stricken. He took off his crown and fell in prostration before His God, saying. “O, my Lord, certainly the sovereignty belongs to you and not to me.” What was it that compelled the king to step down from his throne? It was his sense of realism. This is the greatest quality a man can possess for such a man does not hesitate to accept the truth, and, in doing so, can achieve the greatest of successes in life.

The more one attaches oneself to this world, the more one is removed from the next world

1986 12 December 8 The more one attaches oneself to this world, the more one is removed from the next world (41) The Prophet said: “There is coming a time when you will be more insignificant than twigs carried on a flood.” People asked what the reason for this would be, and the Prophet said: “Love of the world and fear of death.”