2. Divine Government

The servant of God has no need of any station, no man is his slave, and he is the slave of none;

the servant of God is a free man, that is all, his kingdom and laws are given by God alone,

his customs, his way, his faith, his laws are of God, of God his foul and fair, his bitter and sweet.

The self seeking mind heeds not another’s welfare, sees only its own benefit, not another’s;

God’s revelation sees the benefit of all, its regard is for the welfare and profit of all.

Just alike in peace and in the ranks of war, His joining and parting are without fear and favour;

when other than God determines the aye and nay then the strong man tyrannises over the weak

in this world command is rooted in naked power; mastery drawn from other than God is pure unbelief.

The tyrannical ruler who is well‐versed in power builds about himself a fortress made up of edicts;

white falcon, sharp of claw and swift to seize, he takes for his counsellor the silly sparrow

giving to tyranny its constitution and laws, a sightless man giving collyrium to the blind.

What results from the laws and constitutions of kings? Fat lords of the manor, peasants lean as spindles!

Woe to the constitution of the democracy of Europe! The sound of that trumpet renders the dead still deader;

those tricksters, treacherous as the revolving spheres, have played the nations by their own rules, and swept the board!

Robbers they, this one wealthy, that one a toiler, all the time lurking in ambush one for another;

now is the hour to disclose the secret of those charmers— we are the merchandise, and they take all the profits.

Their eyes are hard out of the love of silver and gold, their sons are a burden upon their mothers’ backs.

Woe to a people who, out of fear for the fruit, carries off the very sap from the tree’s trunk

and, that the plectrum wins no melody from its strings, slays the infant yet unborn in its mother’s womb.

For all its repertory of varied charms I will take nothing from Europe except—a warning!

You enchained to the imitation of Europe, be free, clutch the skirt of the Quran, and be free!