The Book of Akbar 16: CHAPTER II.

16

are aware of the illumination and obscuration of alphabetical letters, according as they are with or without diacritical points, have assigned seven out of the twenty-eight letters of abjad to each element. Now the equably-proportioned letters of this august name are a collection of the four-fold degrees (i.e. the four elements), and tell of the collection of the four stages of Beauty, Majesty, Bounty and Perfection. Thus alif is Fire, kaf Water, bd Air and rd Earth. Whenever a name, by reason of the equality of its composition, is so made up of letters that no element is wanting in it and no element is redundant, that name is perfectly equipoised between its limits. This equipoise results in the name-bearer's being possessed of excellent qualities, bodily health, length of life, exaltation of sovereignty and lasting joy.
Another point in this matter becomes conspicuous in the window of intelligence, viz., that although this Greater Fortune (Sa'd-i-Akbar—meaning Jupiter, and here taken for Akbar) may have enemies on various sides, yet they will be scattered and annihilated, for in the composition and arrangement of the letters of the name, there are two medial letters—viz., kaf and bd (k and b); kaf is watery and carries away the supernal enemies, who are fire, and b which is aerial, scatters the nether enemies, who are earthly. It is right that those who know the subtleties of secrets, should become cognisant of the mysterious minutiae of the import of the wondrous Name, and partake of the bounty of its auspiciousness and beneficence.