The Marvelous City

The Hikaayat The Marvelous City from the Epistle on Geography, vol. 1, p. 167 translated by Professor Shatha Almutawa is presented in English on Fatemidawat.com.

'A group of people entered the city of a great, wise, just, and merciful king, who built it with his wisdom, and he prepared in it unique crafts that should be seen because they cannot be described. He placed in it a dining table with food for those who visit it, and food for those leaving it. He invited some of his slaves to his presence in order to bestow on them of his magnanimity. He told them to descend into that city on their way, to take a look at it and to see what’s in it, and to contemplate his marvelous creations and to learn from his strange formations, in order to tame their souls, so they become by seeing it wise, good, and noble. They would then arrive at this presence, and they would deserve his generosity.

The group of people visited the city. They spent their entire night busy eating, drinking, playing, and having a good time. Then they left it at the break of dawn without knowing which gate they had entered through, or which gate they left from, and they did not see the signs of his wisdom or the strange creations, and they did not benefit from anything in it more than their pleasure that night while eating and drinking only.

Such is the case of the sons of the dunya who come to it ignorant. They remain in it confused and forced, denying the matter of the last abode. They leave it as God says, glorified is His praise: “He who is blind in it will be blind in the afterlife and even more lost.”