The King Who Ruled for a Thousand Years

In this post I will post an excellent multifaceted tradition. On the surface, an excellent moral lesson can be extracted from this tradition. However, as we dig deeper into it a few other important points and teachings can be noticed as well.  First, let us read over the tradition. Following the tradition, I will add a few points regarding this tradition.

As always, please double-check the translation, and if it required improvement, please let me know.

This tradition is graded Good.

Arabic Text:

حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ هَاشِمٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنِ الصَّادِقِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ ع‏

أَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي حَدِيثٍ يَذْكُرُ فِيهِ قِصَّةَ دَاوُدَ ع أَنَّهُ خَرَجَ يَقْرَأُ الزَّبُورَ وَ كَانَ إِذَا قَرَأَ الزَّبُورَ لَا يَبْقَى جَبَلٌ وَ لَا حَجَرٌ وَ لَا طَائِرٌ إِلَّا جَاوَبَتْهُ فَانْتَهَى إِلَى جَبَلٍ فَإِذَا عَلَى ذَلِكَ الْجَبَلِ نَبِيٌّ عَابِدٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ حِزْقِيلُ فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ دَوِيَّ الْجِبَالِ وَ أَصْوَاتَ السِّبَاعِ وَ الطَّيْرِ عَلِمَ أَنَّهُ دَاوُدُ ع فَقَالَ دَاوُدُ ع يَا حِزْقِيلُ تَأْذَنُ لِي فَأَصْعَدَ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ لَا فَبَكَى دَاوُدُ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِلَيْهِ يَا حِزْقِيلُ لَا تُعَبِّرْ دَاوُدَ وَ سَلْنِي الْعَافِيَةَ قَالَ فَأَخَذَ حِزْقِيلُ بِيَدِ دَاوُدَ ع وَ رَفَعَهُ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ دَاوُدُ يَا حِزْقِيلُ هَلْ هَمَمْتَ بِخَطِيئَةٍ قَطُّ قَالَ لَا قَالَ فَهَلْ دَخَلَكَ الْعُجْبُ بِمَا أَنْتَ فِيهِ مِنْ عِبَادَةِ اللَّهِ قَالَ لَا- قَالَ فَهَلْ رَكَنْتَ إِلَى الدُّنْيَا فَأَحْبَبْتَ أَنْ تَأْخُذَ مِنْ شَهَوَاتِهَا وَ لَذَّاتِهَا قَالَ بَلَى رُبَّمَا عَرَضَ ذَلِكَ بِقَلْبِي قَالَ فَمَا كُنْتَ تَصْنَعُ إِذَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ أَدْخُلُ إِلَى هَذَا الشِّعْبِ فَأَعْتَبِرُ بِمَا فِيهِ قَالَ فَدَخَلَ دَاوُدُ ع الشِّعْبَ فَإِذَا سَرِيرٌ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ عَلَيْهِ جُمْجُمَةٌ بَالِيَةٌ وَ عِظَامٌ فَانِيَةٌ وَ إِذَا لَوْحٌ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ فِيهِ كِتَابَةٌ فَقَرَأَهَا دَاوُدُ ع فَإِذَا فِيهَا

أَنَا أَرْوَى بْنُ سَلَمٍ مَلَكْتُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ وَ بَنَيْتُ أَلْفَ مَدِينَةٍ وَ افْتَضَضْتُ أَلْفَ بِكْرٍ فَكَانَ آخِرَ عُمُرِي أَنْ صَارَ التُّرَابُ فِرَاشِي وَ الْحِجَارَةُ وِسَادَتِي وَ الدِّيدَانُ وَ الْحَيَّاتُ جِيرَانِي فَمَنْ رَآنِي فَلَا يَغْتَرَّ بِالدُّنْيَا.

Farsi Translation:

هشام بن سالم گويد: امام صادق عليه السّلام در حديثى كه در آن داستان داود عليه السّلام را ذكر مى ‏كند فرمود:

داود در حالى كه زبور تلاوت مى‏ كرد بيرون آمد و هنگامى كه او زبور تلاوت مى‏ كرد كوهها و سنگها و پرندگان پاسخ وى را مى‏ گفتند و به كوهى رسيد كه پيامبر عابدى به نام حزقيل در آنجا بود و چون آواى كوهها و آواز درندگان و پرندگان را شنيد دانست كه وى داود عليه السّلام است، داود عليه السّلام به او گفت: اى حزقيل! آيا اذن مى‏ دهى كه به نزد تو بالا بيايم؟ گفت: نه، و داود گريست و خداى تعالى به حزقيل وحى كرد كه داود را سرزنش مكن و از من عافيت بخواه، گويد: حزقيل دست داود را گرفت و او را به جانب خود بالا برد داود گفت: اى حزقيل! آيا هيچ گاه قصد گناه كرده ‏اى؟ گفت: نه، گفت: آيا از اين عبادت خداوند تو را عجبى رسيده است؟ گفت: نه، گفت: آيا دل به‏ دنيا داده ‏اى و شهوات و لذّات آن را دوست داشته‏ اى؟ گفت: آرى، گاهى بر قلبم راه يافته است، گفت: وقتى چنين شود چه مى‏ كنى؟ گفت: به این دره برو و از آنچه در آنجاست عبرت بگیر. گويد: داود عليه السّلام به آن دره رفت و به ناگاه تختى از آهن ديد كه جمجمه و استخوانهاى پوسيده‏اى بر آن بود و لوحى آهنين نيز آنجا بود كه نوشته‏ اى داشت، داود عليه السّلام آن را خواند و بر آن چنين نوشته بود:

من اروى بن سلم هستم كه هزار سال پادشاهى كردم و هزار شهر ساختم و با هزار دوشيزه آميزش كردم، آخر كار چنين شد كه خاك بسترم و سنگ بالشم و كرمها و مارها همسايگانم هستند، پس هر كه مرا بنگرد به دنيا فريفته نشود.

English Translation:

My father, may Allah be pleased with him recounted to us: Ali Ibn Ibrahim Ibn Hashem narrated to us from his father from Mohamed Abu Umair from Hisham Ibn Salem from al-Sadiq Ja’afar Ibn Mohammed (PBUH) who recounted in a saying about Prophet Dawoud (David, PBUH) and his reciting of the Psalms [Zaboor]:

When he read the Psalms, there was no mountain, stone or bird but would respond. There was a mountain and upon that mountain was a pious prophet who was called Hizqeel. When he heard the echoes from the mountains and the sounds of the leopards and birds, he knew that it was Dawoud (PBUH). 

Dawoud (PBUH) said to him, “O Hizqeel, will you permit me to come up to you?” He said no and Dawoud wept. Allah the Most exalted sent an inspiration: “O Hizqeel, do not refuse Dawoud and ask that I grant you good health.” 

Hizqeel took Dawoud’s hand (PBUH) and lifted him to himself. Dawoud said, “O Hizqeel, have you committed any sin?” 

He (Hizqeel) said: no.

Dawoud said, “Have you been awestruck and such is your state from the worship of Allah?”

He said: no. 

Dawoud said, “Have you not yearned for worldly life and wanted to partake of its enjoyments and pleasures?” 

Hizqeel said, “Yes. It may have passed through my heart.” 

Dawoud said, “Why did you not do so [go after worldly life] if that is the case?” 

Hizqeel said, “Enter into this valley and consider what is therein.” Dawoud (PBUH) entered the valley and behold, there was a bed of iron upon which was a worn skull and eroded bones and a steel plate on which was some writing. 

Dawoud read what it said: “I am Arwa Ibn Salam. I ruled for a thousand years, built a thousand cities, deflowered a thousand virgins. I have been rewarded for my life’s work with dust for my bed, stones for my pillow; worms and adders are my companions. Thus, let all who see me be not deceived by the world.”

Source:

Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni’mah

Volume 2, P. 524-525

Here are some of the points that could be taken from this tradition.

• We are provided with the name of a new prophet, Hizqeel. As it is readily noticeable, according to this tradition, two divine prophets lived during the same time and near one another.

• From the interaction between these prophets, peace be upon them, we learn that it is not the case that at all times all prophets communicate with each other and learn from one another. 

• We learn that even prophets are tempted in the hearts regarding worldly affairs. After all, they are humans like us and being tempted is a natural consequence of being a human. We are created with both lust and intellect and the degree of our piety is measured by how we prioritize between these two natural parts of us. Prophets, like Hizqeel, utilize their intellect to overpower their temptations. 

• This tradition teaches us how we could strengthen our will power. Hizqeel as a prophet of God combats his temptations by seeing the signs around him. He looks and learns from what is around him, and what is placed for him to help him strengthen his faith.  We all have numerous signs around us; we need to look for them and take lessons from them. 

• The interaction between Hizqeel and Dawoud, peace be upon them is peculiar. Initially, Hizqeel refused to let Dawoud join him on his elevated place, until Allah sent Hizqeel an inspiration to permit Dawoud to join him. This point reminded me of the story of Khizr and Moses, peace be upon them. Khizr was initially hesitant to let Moses accompany him until Moses promised him that he would behave and be patient. In both cases, we seem to have lesser-known prophets, who teach better-known prophets valuable lessons. Allah, through these prophets, teaches His other prophets, important necessary lessons. What stands out in both cases is that Allah uses natural means to train and elevate the status of His prophets.  Even in case of Ibrahim, peace be upon him, Allah placed certainty in his heart by showing him His power. In other words, Ibrahim, peace be upon him, gained certainty via a bodily experience. 

• This tradition confirms that prophets did not commit any sins at any point in their lives. 

•  The story of Arwa Ibn Salam is quite intriguing. Firstly, it should be noted that he was not a divine representative, and even though he was neither a prophet nor a messenger nor an Imam, he lived for a thousand years. Therefore, it is not the case that only God’s chosen representatives receive the privilege to live an extraordinary long life. 

• Human nature has the capacity to live a very long life. For whatever reason, throughout history, we have lost the means and the knowledge to prolong our lives, but this does not imply that living an extraordinary long life is inherently impossible. 

• Awra Ibn Salam boasts about the length of his kinghood, not the length of his life. This implies that he may have lived many years longer than a thousand years, but this tradition does not provide us with any further information regarding his age. 

• He boasts about building a thousand cities and deflowering a thousand virgins. This implies that expanding one’s kingdom or power and deflowering virgins have always been a source of pride for those who seek this worldly life. 

• Lastly, and the obvious moral conclusion of this tradition is that regardless of how much one runs after this world and seeks to accumulate from it, at the end, he will leave everything behind and be placed in dust amongst worms with nothing in his possession. This should be a reminder to all of us, who are concerned or stressed about how much power and wealth we have in our possession. At the end, we leave this world as we entered it, alone and with nothing. Only our deeds will accompany us. Therefore, a wise decision to make is to lighten our worldly load and accumulate good deeds to prepare ourselves for what is certainly to come to each and every one of us, sooner or later.

If you have any comments or questions, please do leave me a message. If you notice any more points that I have missed, please do post them in the comment box below.