Tarikh-i Daʾudi 6: The death of Sultan Sikandar.
Táríkh-i Dáúdí of 'Abdu-lla (extracts) 6
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The death of Sultan Sikandar.
6.1
As men live not eternally, and as no confidence can be placed in earthly possessions, at this time the Sultan fell ill. It is said the origin of his disease was this. One day Haji 'Abdu-l Wahab said to Sultan Sikandar, "You are a Musulman monarch, and yet wear no beard; it is contrary to the institutions of Islam, and particularly improper in a king." Sultan Sikandar replied, "I intend wearing one; and if it please the Most High, I will do so." His excellency Shaikh 'Abdu-l Wahab said: "In doing what is right make no delay." The Sultan said, "My beard is thin; if I allow it to grow, it will look ill, and men will scoff at me, and will be thus guilty of sin. I do not desire that Musulmans should commit sin, especially when I am the cause." Haji 'Abdu-l Wahab answered, "I will pass my hand over your face, and if it please God, your beard will become a fine one; all other beards will salute it, and who will dare laugh at it then?" Sultan Sikandar hung down his head, and made no reply. The Haji said, "O King of the Universe, I speak what is right in your presence, why do you not answer?" The Sultan said, "When my pir, or spiritual guide, orders me, I will wear one." "Who is your pir?" returned the Haji. "He is a man," said the Sultan, "who occasionally comes to see me. He resides in the jungle of Manga Sassu, in the pargana of Jalesar." Haji 'Abdu-l Wahab said: "Does he wear a beard?" "No," replied the King.
6.2
The Haji said, "When I see him I will convince him that he is in the wrong; you pay speedy attention to this." The Sultan gave no answer, but turned away from the Haji, and closed his lips with the seal of silence. The Haji arose and left the assembly, repeating the salam alaik. The Sultan said, after the Haji's departure, "The Shaikh mistakes his position in reading me lectures; and presumes upon the favour which I show him. He thinks that the people who present themselves before him and kiss his feet do it of themselves. He cannot understand this, that were I to cause any one of my slaves to sit down on a litter, and command all the nobles to place it on their shoulders, they would do so without hesitation." Shaikh 'Abdu-l Jalal, the son of Saiyid Ahmad, was present when this occurred, and he reported this speech to Haji 'Abdu-l Wahab. The Haji placed his hand on 'Abdu-l Jalal's shoulder, and said, "This speech of his, in which he compares me, a descendant of the prophet, with one of his own slaves, will one day, please God, stick in his throat, rest assured of that." The Haji left Agra and went to Dehli, without taking leave of the King; and a short time after his departure, Sultan Sikandar was taken ill with a disease of the throat, which daily became worse.
6.3
The Sultan perceived the alteration in his health, and asked Shaikh Ladan Danishmand, who acted as his imam, what was the expiation of these sins — the omission of prayer and fasting, the shaving the beard, drinking wine, and cutting off men's noses and ears, and requested him to write his opinion and send it. Shaikh Ladan wrote it in detail, and sent it to the Sultan, who commanded the historiographers (waki'-navis) to search in the histories of his reign, from its very commencement, for any record of the commission by His Majesty of any sins of these descriptions, and after taking an account of their frequency and degree, to draw up, with Shaikh Ladan's assistance, a careful estimate as to how much gold he was required to give in order to make proper atonement for these transgressions. Shaikh Ladan made the necessary researches, and informed the Sultan, who ordered the treasurer to give to the 'Ulama such gold as did not belong to the public treasury. The 'Ulama were astonished, and said to the treasurer, "How was this sum, kept apart from the public treasury, acquired?" The treasurer replied, "The neighbouring sovereigns were in the habit of sending rarities to the Sultan, and some of the nobles used to send presents along with their petitions. An account of these was made yearly, and presented to the King, who directed that the sums realized by them should be kept separate, in order that the money might be made use of at his pleasure.
6.4
This day he has commanded these reserved funds to be expended." Upon hearing this, the whole of the 'Ulama began to praise and extol his virtues. Sultan Sikandar became weaker every day, but his zeal stimulated him to continue the discharge of the duties of the empire. However, by degrees, his illness arrived at such a pitch that his throat would allow him neither to swallow food nor to drink, and the passage of his breath was stopped. His death took place on Sunday, the 7th Zi-l ka'da, A.H. 923 (November, 1517 A.D.). "Sikandar, King of the seven climes, has ceased to exist, And no one resembling Sikandar has survived him." The length of the reign of that illustrious monarch was twenty-eight years and five months. "The world belongs to God, who is One and Almighty."