Al-Uqud al-Durriyya - Ibn Abd al-Hadi - (الكتاب/177)

a people bankrupt of all good. A trial then descended that left even the forbearing man (1) bewildered; it reduced the sober-minded to the state of a drunkard, and—because of the ceaseless inner whisperings—left the intelligent person neither fully asleep nor truly awake. Hearts that had once been knit together in friendship and brotherhood now recoiled from one another, and a man (2) became so taken up with his own survival that he could not relieve the distressed.

Through that ordeal Allah separated the people of insight and certainty from those whose hearts were marred by sickness, hypocrisy, or frail belief. By it He raised some to the highest ranks, cast others down to the depths, and wiped away from yet others their sinful deeds.

Such varieties of affliction occurred that the event became a miniature Resurrection (3) before the Greater Resurrection: people split into the wretched and the blessed (4) just as they will on the appointed Day. A man fled from (5) his brother, his mother, and his father, for each of them had (6) a concern sufficient for himself. Among them were those whose utmost aim was simply to save their own lives; they gave no thought to their wealth, their children, or their plantations (7). Yet there were also (8) those who still possessed the strength to rescue their families and possessions, and another had

(1) Manuscript Q reads: "al-hakim" (the Wise). (2) Manuscripts Q, F, and K read: "hatta baqi" (until only … remained). (3) Manuscript K reads: "muhtadara" (at the point of death). (4) Margin of the base manuscript: another copy has the correct reading "wa-Masud" (and Masud). (5) Manuscripts Q, F, and K read: "an" (on the authority of). (6) Q reads: "li-kulli minhum" (for each of them); F reads: "minhum yawma idhin" (of them on that day). (7) K reads: "ursuh" (his wedding). (8) Q and F read: "minhum" (of them).

قومًا بورًا. ونزلت فتنةٌ تركت الحليمَ (١) فيها حيران، وأنزلت الرجلَ الصاحي منزلةَ السَّكْران، وتركت الرجلَ اللبيبَ لكثرة الوَسْواس ليس بالنائم ولا اليقظان، وتناكرت فيها قلوب المعارف والإخوان، وبقي (٢) للرجل بنفسه شُغل عن أن يُغيث اللهفان. ومَيَّز الله فيها أهلَ البصائر والإيقان، مِنَ الذين في قلوبهم مرض أو نفاق وضعف إيمان. ورفع بها أقوامًا إلى الدرجات العالية، كما خفض بها أقوامًا إلى المنازل الهاوية، وكفَّر بها عن آخرين أعمالَهُم الخاطئة. وحَدَث من أنواع البلوى ما جعلها قيامةً مُختصرةً (٣) من القيامة الكبرى، فإنَّ الناسَ تفرَّقوا فيها ما بين شقيٍّ وسعيد (٤)، كما يتفرقون كذلك في اليوم الموعود. وفرَّ الرجلُ فيها من (٥) أخيه وأمّه وأبيه؛ إذ كان لكلّ امرئ منهم (٦) شأنٌ يغنيه، وكان من الناس من أقصى همته النجاةُ بنفسه، لا يَلْوي على ماله ولا ولده ولا غرسه (٧)، كما أنَّ فيهم (٨) من فيه قوة على تخليص الأهل والمال، وآخرُ فيه

(١) (ق): «الحكيم». (٢) (ق، ف، ك): «حتى بقي». (٣) (ك): «محتضرة». (٤) في هامش الأصل: في نسخة «ومسعود» صح. (٥) (ق، ف، ك): «عن». (٦) (ق): «لكل منهم». (ف): «منهم يومئذٍ». (٧) (ك): «عرسه». (٨) (ق، ف): «منهم».