690 ISLAMIC MYSTICAL LITERATURE
I testify. He is our god, and Salman
his regent, and Miqdad is Salman's regent."
And once again he uttered, 'Let us pray'
"Twelve spirits who are called our leaders^87
said in a single voice, 'Grace be with you. Come
and quickly hear and testify to obtain redemption,
and testify to the witnessing of Salman,
Miqdad, and Abu Zarr.' They listened awhile.
No one answered, and they repeated, 'Grace
be with you.'
Then came twenty-eight pure spirits,^88
flawless, and turning to the king, they said,
'God is most great, god is most great, you are
the great god. There is no other god but you.'
These five ranks reaffirmed it absolutely.
As it is written, 'Those who go ahead are first,
and they have proved themselves closest to god.'^89
Those nearest the high king were these five ranks.
"But then the 124,000
vacillating spirits, who had turned
away and were suspect, spoke in one voice,
'Maybe we learned the joy of chanting praise
from him, maybe from his manner of speech.'
Yet then they said, 'It's wrong that one of us be god.'
As it is written, 'They had lapsed between two parties
and never could decide.'^90 Yet in the end
they bore certain witness and spoke these words,
'There is no god but god,' and rose up shouting
as the prayer caller in the muezzin's voice.
"These words are why they too stood up. Their ranks
were six. The first Salman, second Miqdad,
- Naqib.
- Najib.
- Qur'an sura 56.
- Qur'an sura 4.
