Saadi, Mahmud and Somnath

Random thoughts
In one of my previous columns I wrote about Shaikh Saadi, his books Bostan and Gulistan and Hazrat Maroof Karkhi. Both the above-named books have been translated into many languages and are considered to be classics. Saadi himself wrote that he had travelled to many countries and jotted down his experiences on the way. He loved Shiraz more than any other city and, after having travelled to many other places, he settled down there.
In Bostan he wrote about his journey to India (Kashmir, Somnath in Gujarat, etc.) In school we read about the grandeur of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi’s period, his vast conquests and his many attacks on Somnath. At one time his kingdom was so vast and he had become so powerful that even the caliph of Baghdad was afraid of him and did everything to keep him as a friend. Stories about the attacks on Somnath roused Saadi’s interest, hence his journey there. Here are Saadi’s own words to describe this journey:
“I saw an idol made of ivory in the temple of Somnath in India similar to Manat in Arabia before the advent of Islam. This was an extraordinary beautiful piece of work. Hindus from far off Indian cities and villages used to come to pray there. Poets from all over India used to come there to pay homage to the idol. I was rather shocked to notice that living human beings were worshipping idols. I told one priest who was my roommate and was friendly to me, that I was shocked to see the people worshipping a lifeless idol who cannot walk, can’t talk and, if someone dropped him, he won’t be able to stand up. His eyes are made of rubies. You could not expect anything from that lifeless piece.
“My roommate Brahman got furious on hearing this and informed other worshippers about my comments. They all almost wanted to lynch me. A wise man is wise in his head and heart, but is considered an idiot by the fools. I realised the precarious position I had put myself in (through unwise loose talk) and I thought of immediately salvaging the situation by being humble and told him: ‘O master! I find the shape and appearance of this idol a bit strange and I am not aware of the real situation. I am a traveler (tourist) and would soon move on. A traveller hardly knows the real situation (facts). I would be one of the first worshippers of him if I knew of his powers.’
On hearing my talk, the priest looked delighted and said: ‘O good man, you are right. Only they reach the destination who seek a guide. I myself have seen idols who were lifeless and oblivious to their surroundings except this idol. He stretches his hands to the Almighty and prays. If you want to see it, stay the night here and the secret will be open to you in the morning.’
I accepted his invitation and spent the night with him. I was extremely nervous and tense and it was a never-ending night and an unclean surrounding. They were stinking like rotten corpses. I bore all this ordeal. I was about to pray to Allah when the drum was loudly beaten and everything was lit with sunlight. It was the advent of dawn.
Unclean, unwashed Brahmans came from all sides and rushed toward the temple. There was no soul left in the city and there was no place in the temple. I was still tired and sleepy when the idol raised his hands up. There was a big commotion and within a few minutes the temple was empty. The priest looked at me and said he was sure I had no problem anymore now. All the priests ran towards me, held my hands with respect. I walked towards the idol and apologised for my action. I picked up a small idol and respectfully kissed it. Seeing that, all were now pleased. I was also pleased and content.
One night I locked the door of the temple and went to look around. I found a golden curtain. Behind the curtain I saw a priest holding the end of a rope. Whenever the priest pulled the rope, the idol made a sound and raised its hands. The priest was extremely shaken to see me and fled. I chased him and pushed him into a well. I thought if he survived he would disclose my secret and they would lynch me. For my own safety I threw big stones into the well and ensure that he was dead. I know that a corpse won’t disclose any secrets.
“Realising that I had created a commotion, I ran for my life and disappeared.” [Due to the performance of the idol, Hindus from far off places in India came to worship it and offered costly presents, viz. golden ornaments, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, etc. The High Priest was reported to have hidden all these costly gifts inside the idol. Mahmud of Ghaznavi heard of this and, whenever he raided Somnath, he broke the idol – author]
After this adventure I roamed around in India, then from there went to Yemen and to Hijaz. The inconvenience and hardships I faced during this trip cannot be described in words. Never before I felt so content and happy as now in the reign of King Abu Bakar Saad. I am praying to Almighty for him and for his kingdom. He not only consoled me, but showered his blessings on me. How can I ever thank the King for the kindness he showed me after such a terrible and painful time. I know that I could not raise my hand but for His blessings. Even though there is always the opportunity for all to submit to Almighty and pray, but not all are blessed with it. This is the hurdle in the way, i.e. you cannot enter the court without the permission of the king. In short, the fate is determined by none other than the Almighty.
O brave man! If you are following the right path, you are in no way doing a favour to anyone. It is a favour on you from the Almighty. If the Almighty has made you pious, you can never do anything wrong or indulge in a sin. You don’t have to be arrogant or boast about your righteousness. You are where the Almighty guided you to be, if only you could understand it.”
Tailpiece: Some writers have cast doubt on the veracity of Shaikh Saadi’s narrative. I, for one, won’t dare to doubt anything which Shaikh Saadi wrote. He was too great a man to indulge in any such game.
Email: dr.a.quadeer.khan@gmail.com