ISLAMIC MYSTICAL LITERATURE 713
of the black smoke.'^136 And they received the name
'the tested,' and he kept them there below
the confessors of the one and only.THE SEVEN RANKS OF SPIRITUAL BEINGS
"In this way the former were seven ranks.
The first is Salman's level, second Miqdad,
third Abu Zarr, fourth the Naqib, fifth the Najib,
sixth the confessors of the one and only,
and seventh the tested, fulfilling his word,
'The patient and truthful and humble who
give alms and pray for pardon in the dawn.'^137"For other vacillators the high king
commanded Salman, 'Send them out of here,
keep them on earth.' 'We told you to get out,
all of you, go. True guidance comes from me.'^138
Immediately 313 of them screamed
as someone screams when thrown into a prison.
That's how they howled, and loud as they could.
The high god pardoned them again, cut them
from doubt and wonder. He made seventy thousand
angels from them, and now these waverers,
as pure, received the name of messengers,
and they were worthy of his grace and pardon
through the mercy of the exalted king.
'After I was afraid I fled from you.
My lord endowed me with the power of judgment
and I became one of the messengers.'^139IBLIS APPEARS
"Among the low ones who were called angel
the cursed Iblis appeared. He belonged to the low ones,- Qur'an sura 56.
- Qur'an sura 3.
- Qur'an sura 2.
- Qur'an sura 26.