Mahmûd’s army found at Somnât the idol named Lét. The Hindus hastened to offer, for its preservation, ten times its weight in gold; but Mahmûd firmly refused to sell it, and ordered a great fire to be kindled to burn it. One of his officers ventured to say: “It is not fitting to destroy this idol; it would be better to accept what is offered and take the gold.” — “I should fear,” replied Mahmûd, “that on the day of the supreme reckoning the Creator might say, before the assembled universe: ‘Hear what Azar and Mahmûd have done: the first carved idols, and the second sold them.’”
It is related that when Mahmûd had ordered the idol of these fire-worshippers to be set alight, a hundred manns of precious stones came out from within the statue, and Mahmûd thus obtained for nothing what he desired. Mahmûd then said: “Lât deserved this treatment, and God has rewarded me for my deed.”
It is related that when Mahmûd had ordered the idol of these fire-worshippers to be set alight, a hundred manns of precious stones came out from within the statue, and Mahmûd thus obtained for nothing what he desired. Mahmûd then said: “Lât deserved this treatment, and God has rewarded me for my deed.”
Ah! Break the idols to which thou payest worship thyself, lest thou perish miserably like this idol. Consume thy soul, as Mahmûd consumed this idol, through love of thy divine friend, that thou mayest bring forth the precious stones from beneath the outward face. When the cry of alast resounds in thine ear, delay not to answer, “Yes.” Thou wast bound by this covenant before thou didst exist; fail not to fulfil it today. Since thou didst make this former covenant with God, how couldst thou be free to deny it now? Thou, then, who didst accept in the beginning the covenant of Alast and wouldst now renounce it, since thou didst positively make it at that time, how wilt thou disobey it today? Thou canst not avoid fulfilling thy promise; comport thyself accordingly, therefore, faithfully perform what thou hast accepted, and act not by subterfuge.
When Mahmoud, the torch of kings, had left Gazna to wage war against the Hindus, and beheld their innumerable army, his heart was filled with sorrow at their multitude; and that day he vowed to the King of all justice, saying: “If I gain the victory over this army, I shall devote to the dervishes of the spiritual path all the spoil that falls into my hands.” When, therefore, Mahmoud had been victorious, an immense spoil was gathered together, beyond all measure, beyond what a hundred wise minds could have imagined. So, when those black faces had been routed and this spoil, which exceeded all expectation, had been won, the king said to one of his officers: “Send this spoil to the dervishes, for I made this vow to God from the very beginning, and I must act uprightly in respect of my pact and my engagement.” But everyone cried out and said: “What! Give so much silver and gold to a handful of worthless people! Either give it to the army, which has been exposed to the enemy’s attacks, or order it to be placed in the treasury.” The sultan, troubled by uncertainty, remained perplexed between his promise and this unanimous counsel. At that moment, Bû Hugçain, a spiritual madman, who was intelligent but uneducated, passed through the midst of this army. When Mahmoud saw him from afar, he said: “Bring this fool hither, ask him what I ought to do, and I shall act as he says. Since he cares neither for the sultan nor for the army, he will give his opinion freely.” The king of the world then had this madman brought before him and told him the matter. Beside himself, he spoke these words: “Sire, the question here is of two oboles for thee; but if thou wouldst act properly towards God, think no more, my dear, of these two oboles; and if Thou win yet another victory through His grace, be ashamed to take two oboles from it. Thus, since God has given thee victory and made thee prosper, what can belong to thee that does not belong to God?”
Mahmoud distributed this gold in alms, and became a great monarch.