702 ISLAMIC MYSTICAL LITERATURE
at the time of Noah and David, Suwa,^117
at the time of Abraham, Nimrod,^118
at the time of Moses, it was the pharaoh,
at the time of Jesus, it was the tempter,
and at the time of Muhammad, Abu Jahl.^119
In our time he is called Satan. All names
are sounds invented by the cursed one,
who with the others in the turquoise dome
refused to witness, while the ones who came
before, whose leader is Salman, accepted
manifestation of the highest king."THE EARTH IS CREATED
Then Jabir said, "My lord, what do you say
to commentary on the following verse
from the Qur'an? 'Once we offered treasure
that was to be entrusted to the world,
to heaven first, then to the earth, and then
to mountains. Yet none of them make it his,
since they were petrified. Some humans did,
although it was the sacrilege of fools.'"^120
Baqir spoke, "Jabir, the high king states in verse,
We stored our treasure in heaven and they took it.
We put it on earth and they took it.
We put it on the mountains and they took it.
Everyone between the skies and earth took it,
but nervously, cautiously, and after
the high creator's warning. Only a group of humans
took it with hardship. As for all the rest,
the unbelievers, hypocrites, and heathen,
they snubbed the warning of the lofty king,- One of the idol gods in Qur'an sura 71.
- Genesis 10:8-12.
- In Arabic, "father of folly," nickname of an opponent of prophet Muhammad.
- Qur'an sura 33.