The Sphere of Mercury
Their second stop is the planet Mercury. Here they find the nineteenth century thinker Jamaluddin Afghani leading prayers to his disciple, Said Haleem Pasha. Afghani’s recital of Surah Najam opens the heart of Iqbal to universal archetypes.
They discuss religion and politics after the prayer. Afghani explains that the Quran contains many worlds as yet unborn. One of them would be sufficient for the modern age. This unborn world of the Quran is to be found in the hearts of the believers. Its four fundamentals are:
a. that the human being is God’s vicegerent on Earth;
b. that the only government worth obeying is the government of God, and not terrestrial tyrannies;
c. that all and belongs to God, and the wealthy are nothing but trustees of God who are obliged to use it for the welfare of the others;
d. and, knowledge is a virtue.
Optional: you can read chapter in the abridged edition
or follow links to original Persian text and translation
from the Republic of Rumi Website
Marghdeen
1
Mars is the fourth stop in the journey. The spirit of Rumi explains to Iqbal that the planet is the abode of a special breed which lives soulfully: while our hearts are contained in our bodies, the bodies of the Martians are contained in their hearts. Due to this, the Martians have attained a unity of thought. When the time comes for a Martian to die, he or she announces it happily a couple of days ahead.
The Martians are advanced in science as well as spirituality. An astronomer comes out of an excellent observatory and speaks with Rumi and Iqbal in Persian. He mentions a Martian who chanced to visit the earth in the days of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). The he tells them that this alternate world came into being when their ancestor Barkhia refused Farzmurz (a Devilish figure unexplained in the story), who tried to tempt him with the promise of “a world about which God does not know and which is free from any restrictions of the religious law.” Since Barkhia resisted the temptation, God rewarded his descendants with Marghdeen, the model city which is now in front of Rumi and Iqbal.
Marghdeen is a magnificent city with tall buildings. Its people are beautiful, selfless and simple; they speak a language that sounds melodious to the ears. They are not after material goods; rather they are the guardians of knowledge and derive wealth from their sound judgment. The sole purpose of knowledge and skill in that world is to help improve the life. Currency is unknown, and temperaments are not to be governed by machines that blacken the sky with their smoke. The farmers are hardworking and contented – there are no landlords to plunder their harvest, and the tillers of the land enjoy the entire fruit of their labor. Learning and wisdom don’t flourish on deceit and hence there is neither army, nor law keepers are needed, because there is no crime in Marghdeen. The marketplace is free from the noisy shouts and heartrending cries of the beggars.
2
“In this world there is no beggar,” says the Martian astronomer, “Nor anyone is poor; no slave, no master – no ruler and thus none dominated.” When Iqbal asks him whether this is not a revolt against Destiny, the Martian replies:
“If you are suffering at the hands of destiny, it is not unfair to ask God for a new one. He has no shortage of destinies for you. Failure to understand the mystical significance of destiny has led the inhabitants of the Earth to lose their identities. Here is a hint to the secret of destiny: change yourself and your destiny will change with you. If you are dust, you shall be scattered by the wind. But if you become solid as a rock, you can break the glass. If you are dewdrop, then you are destined to fall but if you are an ocean, then you will remain. To you, faith means conformity to others while your imagination remains confined because you do not conform to yourself. Shame on the faith that serves like an addiction to opium! A gem is a gem as long as you think it is valuable, otherwise it is just a stone. The world will shape itself according to your perception of it. The heavens and the earth too will adjust.”
3
Perfect as it may seem, this world is still vulnerable to corruption. Farzmurz abducted a damsel from Europe, tutored her in his own ways and has now introduced her to the Martians. She teaches the mysteries of body and admonishes love. Rumi’s comment about her is: “See the outcome of a profane civilization. Love is the only divine code of life. Religion is the basis of civilization, and love, the foundation of religion. Love, apparently is heart burning and resembles fire but essentially it contains the light of God. The inherent energy of love and its zeal helps prosper art and literature. Religion is incomplete without the etiquettes of love. So discover religion in the company of the masters of love.”
I am comparing what I like about Marghdeen to the four fandamentals of Quran mentioned in the Sphere of Mercury or The world of Quran , By Jamal uddin Afghani.
·a ) that the human being is God’s vicegerent on Earth; (selfdiscovery sphere of moon )
Result = Marghdeen is an abode of a special breed which lives soulfully: while our hearts are contained in our bodies, the bodies of the Martians are contained in their hearts. (Sphere of mars)
·b ) that the only government worth obeying is the government of God, and not terrestrial tyrannies; ( Concensus; sphere of moon)
Result = Due to this, the Martians have attained a unity of thought. (Sphere of mars)
· d ) and, knowledge is a virtue. ( long term thinking; sphere of mercury)
Result = The Martians are advanced in science as well as spirituality. Its people are beautiful, selfless and simple; they speak a language that sounds melodious to the ears. They are not after material goods; rather they are the guardians of knowledge and derive wealth from their sound judgment. The sole purpose of knowledge and skill in that world is to help improve the life. Sphere of mars
·c ) that all belongs to God, and the wealthy are nothing but trustees of God who are obliged to use it for the welfare of the others; (Rise above yourself; sphere of venus)
Result = The marketplace is free from the noisy shouts and heartrending cries of the beggars. Currency is unknown, and temperaments are not to be governed by machines that blacken the sky with their smoke. “In this world there is no beggar,” says the Martian astronomer, “Nor anyone is poor; no slave, no master – no ruler and thus none dominated.” (sphere of mars)
This proves that World of Quran = Marghdeen
Perfect as it may seem, this world is still vulnerable to corruption ! (sphere of mars)
