The Institutes of Akbar 131: Abulfazl’s second introduction to Akbar.
The Áín i Akbari (Blochmann, Jarrett) 131
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Abulfazl’s second introduction to Akbar.
131.1
[Badáoní, edited by Maulawí Aghá Ahmad ’Alí, in the Bibliotheca Indica, Vol. II, p. 198.] “It was during these days [end of 982 A. H.] that Abulfazl, son of Shaikh Mubárik of Nágor, came the second time to court. He is now styled ’Allámí. He is the man that set the world in flames. He lighted up the lamp of the Sabáhis, illustrating thereby the story of the man who, because he did not know what to do, took up a lamp in broad daylight, and representing himself as opposed to all sects, tied the girdle of infallibility round his waist, according to the saying, ‘He who forms an opposition, gains power.’ He laid before the Emperor a commentary on the A'yat ul-kursí, which contained all subtleties of the Qorán; and though people said that it had been written by his father, Abulfazl was much praised. The numerical value of the letters in the words Tafsír i Akbarí (Akbar’s commentary) gives the date of composition [983]. But the emperor praised it, chiefly because he expected to find in Abulfazl a man capable of teaching the Mullás a lesson, whose pride certainly resembles that of Pharaoh, though this expectation was opposed to the confidence which His Majesty had placed in me. The reason of Abulfazl’s opinionativeness and pretensions to infallibility was this.
131.2
At the time when it was customary to get hold of, and kill, such as tried to introduce innovations in religious matters (as had been the case with Mír Habshí and others), Shaikh ’Abdunnabí and Makhdúm ul mulk, and other learned men at court, unanimously represented to the emperor that Shaikh Mubárik also, in as far as he pretended to be Mahdí, belonged to the class of innovators, and was not only himself damned, but led others into damnation. Having obtained a sort of permission to remove him, they despatched police officers, to bring him before the emperor. But when they found that the Shaikh, with his two sons, had concealed himself, they demolished the pulpit in his prayer-room. The Shaikh, at first, took refuge with Salím i Chishtí at Fathpúr, who then was in the height of his glory, and requested him to intercede for him. Shaikh Salím, however, sent him money by some of his disciples, and told him, it would be better for him to go away to Gujrát. Seeing that Salím took no interest in him, Shaikh Mubárik applied to Mírzá ’Azíz Kokah [Akbar’s foster-brother], who took occasion to praise to the emperor the Shaikh’s learning and voluntary poverty, and the superior talents of his two sons, adding that Mubárik was a most trustworthy man, that he had never received lands as a present, and that he [’Azíz] could really not see why the Shaikh was so much persecuted. The emperor at last gave up all thoughts of killing the Shaikh. In a short time matters took a more favourable turn;
131.3
and Abulfazl, when once in favor with the emperor, (officious as he was, and time-serving, openly faithless, continually studying His Majesty’s whims, a flatterer beyond all bounds) took every opportunity of reviling in the most shameful way that sect whose labours and motives have been so little appreciated, and became the cause not only of the extirpation of these experienced people, but also of the ruin of all servants of God, especially of Shaikhs, pious men, of the helpless, and the orphans, whose livings and grants he cut down. He used to say, openly and implicitly,— O Lord, send down a proof for the people of the world ! Send these Nimrods a gnat as big as an elephant! These Pharaoh-like fellows have lifted up their heads ; Send them a Moses with a staff, and a Nile! And when in consequence of his harsh proceedings, miseries and misfortunes broke in upon the ’Ulamás (who had persecuted him and his father), he applied the following Rubá’í to them :— I have set fire to my barn with my own hands, As I am the incendiary, how can I complain of my enemy ? No one is my enemy but myself, Woe is me! I have torn my garment with my own hands. And when during disputations people quoted against him the edict of any Mujtahid, he used to say, ‘Oh don’t bring me the arguments of this sweetmeat-seller, and that cobbler, or that tanner!” He thought himself capable of giving the lie to all Shaikhs and ’Ulamás.”’