Bensalem Himmich - The Polymath

“What happened was that these two classes provoked a strong reaction from three students, one that hit me just like an obscure syllogism or analogy that left me completely baffled. Here’s what they had to say: ‘Great Master, all matter, including precious metals, can never actually disappear, but rather, remains behind even after its owners have died. Among the Copts it is the custom to bury the dead in all their finery. Other peoples — Greeks, Persians, Byzantines, for example — have their own rituals when it comes to preserving their heritage and valuables. As a consequence, the treasures of this world still exist, but they are buried underground.’

‘“Noble teacher,’ the second of them went on, ‘since excavations conducted blind get us nowhere, we inevitably come to the conclusion that treasures have their own guardian spirits to keep watch over their secrets and the seals that keep them protected. We have to know how to communicate with such spirits through the language of magic charms — incense, drugs, incantations, and mediums — so that they will hand over the keys to those treasures or else show us how to get to the places where the riches are buried that will provide us with a life of luxury.’

‘“Authoritative teacher,’ said the third of them ‘whenever we fail to find the treasure, it does not imply that the act of searching is wrong but merely that either the charms have been wrongly read or else the guardian spirits are being recalcitrant.’

“I can clearly recall what these three students had to say (I heard later on that they were treasure seekers), but I can’t remember what I said by way of reply at the time. The next week however I received a letter, the main part of which read as follows:

From the students who are treasure seekers to the illustrious Master: You have made use of the vilest of terms to describe us — may God forgive you — not the nastiest of which is that we cannot earn a normal living. But you’re the one who has provided us with the means to deal with that very weakness, when you say: “Happiness and profit will normally come only to those who behave humbly and are prepared to flatter. “—”People involved in matters of religion — judging, giving legal opinions, teaching, leading prayers, giving sermons, announcing the call to prayer, and other functions, do not as a rule make a lot of money.”—“It is peasants who lead a humble life; it is among the Bedouin that genuine well-being is to be found. “These are just a few quotes from your writings on this topic. With them in mind, revered teacher, it is the very fact that we are unable to earn a living by normal means that forces us to concoct fantasies of wealth and chase after impossibilities, even though such activities may cause us all manner of difficulties and dire consequences .

“I must tell you that this letter made me realize that I had not paid enough attention to the practice of the occult and magic. Had I given it any thought at the time, I could have begun by asking myself about the function of these practices in the context of society and humanity in general. Which of mankind’s expectations and concerns were expressed and answered by them? With more thought, I might have realized that in this quest for precious metals lay a desperate effort to force the earth to surrender its treasures to people who spend their entire lives dreaming of copious, inconceivable riches. With more thought, I would have seen that the entire thing provides us with a yardstick for the genuine poverty that exists, not to mention the scarcity of precious metals; and that is exactly what makes them the target of both dreams and plunder. Even so, I did record that this social phenomenon was spreading during a period when the regime was in decline and had decided to go after these treasure-seekers so that they could be taxed.”

‘Abd al-Rahman looked over at al-Hihi and caught him surreptitiously making notes.

“I told you not to write anything down, Hammu,” he scolded him with a smile, “and yet I see you’re still writing. Are you so keen to record every single thing I say, digressions and all?”

“Indeed, Master, they are all pearls. I have to note them all down in rough form so that I can make a complete version at home.”

“Stop that for now. Bring over that stew so that I can taste some. By God, I haven’t eaten for a few days, so I need some food.”

“Here’s Umm al-Banin’s stew. She makes it for you with all her affection and respect.”

“God preserve her handiwork and lead her to what pleases His will.”

‘Abd al-Rahman tasted some of the stew, scooping up a piece of meat covered in beans and artichoke, all of it garnished with olives. He took a piece of bread, dipped it in the stew, and took it out slowly and carefully. With each mouthful he extolled the woman who had made it and blessed the way in which this wonderful dish was settling so well in his stomach. He recalled previous meals that Umm al-Banin had cooked for him. All of which led him to ask her husband a question.

“How is it, Hammu, that your wife’s stews, filled as they are with fat, still manage to settle in my hypersensitive stomach without the slightest problem? For example, the stew we had before this was sinfully rich in eggs, all of which led me to expect the very worst consequences, and yet I had no bad aftereffects. What’s the secret?”

“That’s a good question, but the only answer I can give is that Umm al-Banin is a wonderful cook; all her relatives in Fez admit as much. She always uses the right amount of oil and spices, and absolutely refuses to use anything but the freshest and best produce. However, as far as I am concerned, the real secret lies in the oregano oil she uses. It’s known to have beneficial properties, and I get my relatives in Ighilinghighil to bring it with them when they pass through on their pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina.”

“The oregano of the al-Hihis, not to mention their honey, their pride, and their intelligence, these are all things that, God willing, I’ll talk about some time, not to mention Ighilinghighil and its famous tableware.”

At this point ‘Abd al-Rahman wished his amanuensis and his wife health and happiness. That was the cue for the session to come to an end.

The Night at the End of Sha‘ban

When al-Hihi entered ‘Abd al-Rahman’s house, he took up his usual position and waited for the master to finish his prayers and intercessions. It was only when al-Hihi greeted his master that the latter was even aware of al-Hihi’s presence. With that he went over, sat beside him, and returned his greetings, rewinding his turban as he did so.

“Prayer is a cure for the weary soul, Hammu,” he said, “so never stint on it or cut it short.”

“Sometimes I pray with the congregation, Master, at others with my wife. I will not hide from you the fact that my very greatest delight is when I can persuade my wife to perform the prayers behind me.”

“But for books, I would spend the majority of my time in prayer, in the hope of relieving my distress and erasing sad memories. At my great age and in the current circumstances, prayer becomes sheer pleasure. I can forget earthly matters and focus instead on a universe where one is made aware of the atoms of the eternal, repeating along with the poet:

May God never bless me should I not focus my soul on what matters most ,

And may He multiply my concerns if my goal should be other than salvation .

“As I confront my immense sorrow, my consolation lies in the fact that I am about to embark on a journey to the Holy Places. I express my hope to God that He may come to my aid in ridding my mind of its spotted vermin and my soul of its melancholy apprehensions. My greatest wish is that those holy sites in Mecca and Medina will manage to expel all the foul humors that have possessed me and heal the wounds of my memory. I am so anticipating the advent of the middle of the fasting month and the opportunity to undertake a striving for God. I can barely stand the wait till the time comes to grab the pilgrim’s staff and be on my way. But, for the time being, let’s go up to the roof so we can look out on the Nile and reminisce as much as we can.”