Bensalem Himmich - A Muslim Suicide

I decided not to mention the fact that he had excluded from his list two poets, the notorious homosexual poet Ibn Sahl* from Spain and the shameless anarchist Ibn Talha.

"Lord of Sabta, the city protected by God," I replied, "may God give you a worthy reward! Since my arrival here in Sabta, I have gained three tremendous boons: first, a blessed and successful marriage; second, a stimulus to undertake research and do some writing; and third, a proximity to Spain that allows my friends there to come and visit and hold meetings with me. For me, Sabta has become a site for my spiritual rebirth and my intellectual development. That is what I term it, and that is how I regard it in my heart of hearts."

My host now stood up and invited me to continue our conversation on the upper balcony overlooking the sea. Once there, I continued what I had been saying, spurred on by both the lapping of the waves and my nostalgia for the land that I could see but had now left.

"Such wonderful boons they are! They have inspired me to show, in Jacob's words, `a beautiful patience' [Sura 12, v. 18] and have reinforced my hope that release will be forthcoming from God and from those people who love the common word and monotheism and who wish to see its flag fluttering over the Muslims and People of the Book in Spain."

Ibn Khalas gave a gentle smile, then sighed as he invoked the Rock of Gibraltar: "God is my witness that, just like you, I mourn for a beloved land that has been forever lost to us. There are times, especially while I am secluded here, when I imagine myself crossing the straits at the head of a huge and powerful army and engaging in one battle after another in order to recover all the lost fortresses, cities, and regions. I see myself restoring a sense of security and welfare to every quarter and thus enabling everyone to turn around and go back to their homes and trades. But then my imagination grinds to a halt, and I find myself reverting humbly to the everyday concerns of residents and emigres here, concerns that grow more urgent and difficult as day follows day. Pinnacle of the faith, the eye may see things, as the proverb puts it, but the hand remains ineffective. God alone has the power and might!"

I could not make up my mind whether to accept the sincerity of what the governor was saying or whether I should treat it as a trial balloon to get me to expound what I really thought deep down. I decided to assume the former.

"But what about the Almohad ruler `Ali al-Said?*" I asked. "Where is his eye looking, and what about his hand?"

He paused for a moment, stroking his beard and rubbing his chin.

"There are no eyes or ears spying on us here," he replied. "God alone is watching over us, and He is the witness to what I am saying. Ever since the amir al-Ma`mun* did what he did to the Almohad dynasty, his successors have only been worried about one thing, namely clinging to their thrones for dear life. Their posture toward the disasters in Spain has been that of someone whose eyes have never seen a thing and whose heart has never felt pangs of sorrow. If news of events in Spain happens to filter its way to Marrakesh, they simply block their ears and beg God to bring down on the Franks the same punishments as He did on 'Ad and Thamud and on the Egyptian pharaoh when he behaved tyrannically. In the times of Al-Rashid and his brother, Al-Said, it was my lot to listen to sermons stuffed full of prayers of this type in the palace mosque and elsewhere. Along with hosts of other people I myself had to participate in all kinds of prayers, litanies, and supplications. Since that time I've come to realize that our current state of weakness is chronic and ongoing; in fact, things are getting even worse and yet more complex. If you asked the amir and his coterie to act and declare a jihad,* emulating thereby the first generation of Almohads and the Almoravids before them, they would despise you and turn their backs on you with a glower. Not only that, but if you held a position of some importance they would dismiss you and send you away. That's exactly what happened to some of my predecessors as governor of Sabta. As you well know, this city sits at the very mouth of the volcano, and yet my function here is clearly determined and limited. I cannot move beyond it, nor can I go against the amir's own instructions or those of his spies who operate all around me. Otherwise my career would be at an end. My role involves maintaining security and, to the extent possible, offering help to emigres. God alone provides success, and it is to Him that I turn for support."

My good opinion of the governor was now greatly enhanced. I applauded his frank admission and went on to add my own comments.

"In these times of corruption and crisis," I said, "politicians maintain a stranglehold on all the normal traditions of power. When they're confronted with problems, whether obvious to the eye or beneath the surface, you'll find them seeking diversions and pretending not to notice. If anyone should actually aspire to bring about change or arouse the somnolent, the only choice that these politicians give them is to gird themselves in their paltry armor and wander their way around the same fetid pastures of illusion and supplication. As the Qur'an says, `It is not eyes that are blind, but rather hearts within their breasts' [Sura 22, v. 46]. And God has spoken the truth."

My companion now brought out a rosary. Head lowered, he started counting off the beads.

"My dear righteous governor," I said, continuing the conversation as I felt I had to do, "I beg you to tell me, is Amir al-Sa`id really blind when it comes to appreciating the dangers posed by the Castilians and their allies in Spain, which is being relentlessly swallowed up? Isn't he aware that they're now biding their time over Granada? Are they really willing to let it go? Isn't he aware that, if the Castilians decide to extend their campaign, they will inevitably cross the straits and reach the shores of North Africa and beyond?"

A powerful mixture of resentful amazement and urgent questions was crowding my brain, but at this point I decided to stop expressing my opinions, if only for a short while, in order not to overburden my colleague.

He gave me a piercing stare that made me realize that I should tone down my comments a bit.

"Abd al-Haqq," he said, "it's a symbol of how highly I value your worth that I'm now going to reveal to you something that, by God, I've never told anyone else before. At this point in time the Almohad dynasty exists only in name. The current rulers are playing around, trading on the heritage and prestige of their forebears. Amir al-Sa`id is just like his brother, al-Rashid, and his father, al-Ma'mun. When it comes to life and politics, he's only interested in the present moment. For him it is he himself and his coterie that matter the most. As far as he's concerned, `apres moi le deluge'! So how can you expect him to be paying any attention to Spain or considering the future?"

"Then, my brother," I said, "you should give him advice and open his eyes to the ever-growing dangers that are blindingly obvious to anyone with sense and foresight."

"As you well know, counselors who are both pious and honest are a very rare commodity. Those that remain are either bound and gagged or else keeping themselves out of harm's way. They are due, as the saying has it, `the benediction of strangers."'

"But the situation is drastic," I replied, and things are only getting worse. Even so, we still have to identify people who are prepared to knock on the doors of hope and salvation."

"But, pinnacle of the faith, tell me how that can be?" the governor asked. "For heaven's sake, tell me how?"

"In Sufi houses and retreats and among brotherhoods you will find sources of faith and reserves of initiative and commitment. On both sides of the straits people are fully prepared to defend the faith. Saints of God can form a living army; all they lack is organization, munitions, and equipment. Ever since I've arrived in Sabta with its seven hills, I've regarded it as my rear headquarters, my line of defense, and my haven. I've vowed to myself that, while I'm here, I'll use it as a base for transforming the situation and seek to find a solid mode of resistance. On both shores of the straits there are many people such as myself to be found in mountain passes, fortress towns, big cities, and outlands."