Storia do Mogor 281.5.5

281.5.5

In 1669 a faqir rose one Friday very early in the morning and took it into his head to break with a hammer some of the steps at the great mosque, where Aurangzeb was used to attend and perform his devotions upon that day. The man was caught at work, arrested, and brought before the king when he was on his way to the mosque. The king directed his detention until prayers were over, when he would take cognizance of his crime. The devotions completed, the faqir was brought up. Then the king, with a grave and serious air, said to him: 'I am surprised at your professing to serve God, and yet setting to work to destroy a mosque. What profit do you thereby derive, I pray you tell me?' 'What,' said the culprit, without betraying any astonishment, 'you take notice of very minute trifles, and pay no heed to the cruel and barbarous way in which you treated your father and your brothers, nor to the tyrannies and perfidies which are daily carried out under your orders!' The king felt these reproaches most keenly, and asked the qazi then in attendance what punishment the faqir deserved. The qazi answered that he ought to be decapitated, for which there were two reasons: First, for wanting to destroy the steps by which the faithful so devoutly mounted to God's house; secondly, for having been so bold as to speak to his majesty as he had done, his offence being intensified by his majesty being the image of God upon earth.