The Theocrat: A Modern Arabic Novel (Modern Arabic Literature)

by Bensalem Himmich

  How to proceed when true life has become an impossibility? …

  What you and I witness is true:

  The very veins in your bodies and those of your children are slowly drying up,

  And eyes still bulge when al-Hakim’s executioner flays them.

  And what of their life? Did the people of Islam but realize how their lives were spent,

  The oil in their jars would turn into blood and tears would flow on their lips.

  Ah! In your lands the sigh is truly the essence of life.

  Here a river-valley traverses your domain with paltry waters.

  While the seasons bring their harbingers of danger

  And the spindly ditches produce nothing from their soil.

  Everything you say is correct:

  The time is corrupt, and food is beyond the reach of the oppressed.

  True enough, and the love between you has nothing to support it.

  Mankind is in dire straits, and further migration is futile …

  So here you are, trapped between barren earth and armed men,

  Moving from one strait to another,

  From the clutches of destitution to the grave …

  True enough, but true also are the tales you tell of defiant bodies:

  those who, amidst the refuse, the fig-branches, and vagrant trees,

  manage to conquer death and go in quest of new moms.

  With that Abu Rakwa fell silent for a while. It was obvious that every-one had been much affected by his words. The tent in which the assembly was being held had been encircled by the young men of the tribes, all of them with high hopes. Abu Rakwa now started talking again, although this time it was in a determined tone aimed at bringing matters to a firm and swift resolution, “My brothers in piety and tolerant faith you are all well aware of the efforts I have made among you. Your only course now is to douse the embers of your enmities and unite in a campaign against the forces of tyranny and injustice. So what are your views, and what do you suggest be done?”

  The shaykh of the visiting tribes—an august warrior—stood up, gave the entire assembly a look full of affection and amity, and then addressed Abu Rakwa, “Man of courage and virtue, you have spoken the truth. As far as we are concerned, your blessed efforts are enveloped in glory and success. We people of the tribes in whose name I now speak at this illustrious gathering will make mention of your name generation after generation for your discriminating ideas and laudable conduct. How could it be otherwise when you have managed to bring about between us and our neighbors, the Banu Qurra, that one thing that we ourselves have failed to achieve and have despaired of ever attaining: unity instead of discord, a spirit of brotherhood in piety and faith in place of a tribal fanaticism based on ties of blood. Once we have abandoned our stupid wars against each other, we can make preparations to launch a sacred campaign against cruel tyrants. May God grant you a just reward!”

  This shaykh returned to his place accompanied by a chorus of voices of approval and blessing. He was followed by the shaykh of the Banu Qurra, “The illustrious shaykh of the Zanata has spoken well. You people, all praise be to God who has guided Abu Rakwa to us and used his sound ideas to direct our course of action! Praise Him too for bringing an end to our enduring feud, by depriving us of what has led to conflict and showing us the way to unity and agreement. We praise Him also for enabling us, through our new spirit of unity and aggregation, to fight in the cause of right, undaunted by tyrants and oppressors. The best opinions are those that emerge from consultation. What Abu Rakwa has asked us to do is to review our methods and resources now that the outline of our objectives have been defined.”

  For some time Shihab al-Din had been fidgeting restlessly, eager to display his views and talents. As soon as Abu al-Mahasin had taken his seat, he stood up. “Brothers in our tolerant faith,” he said, “dwellers in peace and concord, we render boundless praise to God. Our joy at this spirit of unity knows no bounds. What greater goal can there be than to combine in focusing all our wrath on the root cause of our suffering and ignominy rather than on each other! But we will never get to appreciate the benefits and merits of this goal of ours if we do not commit ourselves to implement it. What we must do is to put the idea into concrete form by giving due thought to modes and conditions of implementation. We must put our trust in God and rely on the enlightened guidance of our courageous leader.”

  Abu Rakwa realized that now was the time to pose the implicit questions that were on everyone’s mind: fixing territorial targets and the relative balance in the distribution of booty.

  “Good men,” he said, “for me the ultimate joy and happiness lies in your absolute conviction that my only objective is to elevate the name of God and to make justice and right triumph over tyranny. If that is what you want of me, then I am with you all through thick and thin. I will fight with you, I will bless your ranks, and will watch over you as you embark upon all the elaborate activity needed to prepare your forces for action. I see that you regard your new unity as a boon, and intend to consolidate it by undertaking a campaign in God’s cause.”

  From among the Zanata there rose a gruff voice that demanded clarification, “Dear saint of God, God’s cause to which you call us is infinite. So give us some specific principles and goals.”

  Abu Rakwa’s reply was firm and authoritative, “We shall move by way of Barqa, with Egypt and Syria as our goal.”

  These words spread among the people present, “We shall move by way of Barqa, with Egypt and Syria as our goal!” At this point Shihab al-Din stood up to underline the point, “You people, what our leader says is right. If you decide to make do with Barqa, your period of power will be no more than a summer cloud. If you really want your unity to radiate outward and your power to be converted to state authority, then you will have to deal with Egypt and Syria. You must eradicate the rule of the Fatimid tyrant and in its place set up a just regime based on the laws of God.”

  “Champion guide.” asked a man from the Banu Qurra, “let us suppose that, with our swords united, we manage to achieve the goals we seek, how will we divide up and administer the country?

  Abu Rakwa realized that, in responding to this tricky question, he had to show some initiative, “On this topic I can see no alternative but what reason dictates. The land belongs to God. Should we be granted victory, then the land of Egypt will belong first of all to you and me. We will need to rule it justly and through consultation, guided only by the twin lights of forethought and consensus. Syria will be governed by whomever we delegate from among the people campaigning along with us.”

  Almost all those reacting gave support and consent to this idea, with little sign of doubt or opposition. But then someone from the Zanata said, “Abu Rakwa, why aren’t you telling us about the thing everyone wants to know: booty. Give us some details—God grant you His support! Tel! us specifically how much we’ll get so we can work out the terms for unsheathing our swords and have a clear idea of our role.”

  Abu Rakwa’s reply attempted to soften the sharp edges of the question itself. “God Almighty has said. ‘You seek the offerings of this lower world, when with God there is booty beyond measure.’ The Prophet Himself—on Him be peace—said, ‘Wealth is in the soul.’”

  The same man shot back, “God’s booty is only of use to us in the hereafter. Regarding this lower world, God also said, ‘Consume of your booty what is licit and good.’”

  Abu Rakwa’s reply was still conciliatory, ‘“Consume of your booty what is licit and good, and fear God.’ O people. God has spoken the truth. The distribution of booty will only be done by portion. A fifth will go to the poor, the indigent, and the homeless, and a fifth to the treasury. The rest will be for you, licit and good, with no distinction among those who have fought. Booty will only be taken from those who have fought against us and who still take up the sword against us. Those who seek peace with us and are innocent of any wrongdoing against us have nothing to fear for either themselves or their proper
ty. Any person who plunders, robs, burns a tree, or destroys crops is no part of us; we will not hesitate to punish such people. These are my words to you, so take note.”

  The response to these words was all agreement and assent. The shaykh of the Banu Qurra seized the moment to bring the matter to closure. He invited everyone to recite the Fatihah, and they did so in all humility. Then they all stood up and went outside the tent shaking hands and embracing each other.

  The women meanwhile had been busy outside preparing plates of food. The men of the guest tribe brought over a camel, made it sit on the ground in front of Abu Rakwa, and asked him to bless the occasions by slaughtering it. The imam performed the ritual ablution, prayed two prostrations, then slit the camel’s throat while all around people intoned, “God is great.” Before midday the guest tent was crammed with visitors and distinguished guests, all eating and drinking to their hearts’ content and exchanging jokes and stories. Once they had finished, they hurried to perform the noon prayer behind Abu Rakwa, then returned to their tents to relax and take a nap.

  For quite some time a profound silence descended on the encampment. A strong wind blew over the recumbent bodies as their stomachs struggled to digest so much food. In spite of it all, spirits soared high and far, as they dreamed of all the boons of Barqa, Egypt, and the other cities that had been part of the promise, and envisioned all the booty, visible and invisible, that would be theirs across the infinite miles of their journey. They would own fertile fields and the River Nile enveloped with its own blessings; gold, silver, marked horses, and sheep; power, glory, and stature. If the muezzin had not chanted the afternoon call to prayer, their spirits would have pursued this series of visions, ignoring both time and the need to rouse themselves.

  After a while the visitors made ready to leave. Warm, sincere hand-shakes, accompanied by embraces, were exchanged between the tribesmen and their guests. They committed themselves to meet again soon and, above all, to progress toward cooperation and victory. As this farewell ceremony with all its strong emotion, was at its height,. Abu Rakwa approached the shaykh of the Zanata tribe, produced a roll of documents from his sleeve, and handed it over to the eldest among them.

  “May God sustain you all,” he said, “this is the text of the peace agreement between you and the Banu Qurra tribe: I have penned it myself in a sincere spirit of fidelity. As you can see, I have appended a document that is a secret between us and you: it contains details of what we have committed ourselves to, a campaign to eradicate tyranny and wrongdoing. Have all your sages read it, then send it back duly signed with the seals of honor and dignity so that we can send you a copy signed by the Banu Qurra. As soon as this procedure is completed through God’s own power, the next month of this blessed year will be upon us. By then our discord will be at an end, our ranks will be united, and we will enter Barqa safe and successful. Now return to your fellow tribesmen, conveying the good news and escorted on your way by peace and good fortune.”

  As soon as Abu Rakwa had finished speaking and embraced the guests one by one, they all mounted their horses and rode away to a chorus of farewells, leaving the Banu Qurra feeling exultant and overjoyed. Once they had left, Abu Rakwa spoke, “Praise be to God who has brought us thus far. Without His guidance, we would not have taken the right path. Tribesmen, from now on you must be in a maximum state of readiness for the great day. Muster as many forces as you possibly can and make comprehensive and detailed plans. I am with you and one of you; I am willing to take part in coordination and organization and to assist you with the more complex aspects of strategic planning. Should you need my help, then ask me in the evenings during the course of the current month. In the mornings send me your children so that I can leach them God’s word and appropriate parts of the Prophet’s sayings and deeds; after all, learning things as a child is yet more enduring than inspiration carved on rock. From tomorrow send me your children so that I can wear on my neck the symbol of their education as a task to serve as intercession in my favor on the Day of Resurrection. Now I need to spend the rest of today on my own in order to purify my own soul and seek my Lord’s guidance.”

  From then on, life for the Banu Qurra continued along the path that their imam had laid out for them. During the months of Rabi’ al-Awwal and Rabi’ al-Akhir every day brought good news. The Zanata and their allies sent back the documents of peace and the accord concerning the campaign, all duly signed. The Kutama in Tunisia offered to take part in any war against the Fatimid ruler, al-Hakim. Preparations for the campaign moved ahead in fine form. Even though Abu Rakwa was involved in teaching, reading, and cogitation, he managed to stay in touch with every piece of news, receiving it from the shaykhs with smiles and expressions of gratitude and blessing. Something else that he heard or noticed was the way that Shihab al-Din excelled in training the young men how to use every kind of sword, to engage in close combat and simulated fights, and to construct traps and ambushes.

  One night Abu Rakwa invited him to his tent and had him sit close by. “Shihab al-Din,” he said, “I’ve noticed that you’re working very hard even though the war has not started yet. Are you eager for a leadership role?”

  “Great leader,” Shihab al-Din replied, his voice a mixture of diffidence and conviction, “I find myself separated from what I desire by a distance whose only resolution is death.”

  “And who has established such a distance and set guards to watch over it? The tribes?”

  “Who else has the power to subdue any miscreant if he’s one of their number! If I aspired to be their leader, I would need to be you!”

  “Need to be me?” Abu Rakwa repeated in amazement. “Explain what you mean, young man!”

  “Your grasp of things is quite broad enough to realize what I mean. But if you need me to be more explicit, then you should know that you are what I lack, These tribes never aspire to lofty goals unless a religious guide enters their lands from the outside, someone who is able to speak to them in the language of their innermost feelings, preach to them about piety and purification, promise to dispel affliction and grant imminent victory, and call them to a life of good works and a transformation of the principles of this ephemeral world. It does not matter if the person comes in the guise of a hermit or claiming some noble lineage. What really matters is that he arrive at the right time, impelled by auspicious circumstance.”

  For the first time Abu Rakwa felt he was in the presence of a real colleague, someone who was talking to him like a kind of mirror, an image of his own self. He kept listening to the young man, staring at the sand in front of him as though it had been turned into a translucent lake.

  “My brother and leader,” Shihab al-Din continued, “I am not questioning either your asceticism or your lineage. How could I when, for me at least, truth lies only in what can be verified, and thus provides settlement and profit! As far as the Banu Qurra are concerned, your advent has provided them with a universal boon at a moment when they were just inches away from perdition.”

  From time to time Abu Rakwa took a plate of dates that was close by and offered them to Shihab al-Din. Eventually the latter became somewhat irritated by his host’s generosity. “Do you want me to keep talking,” he asked, “or to chew dates?”

  “Certainly not, by God!” Abu Rakwa replied. “I just wanted to supplement the sweetness in your ideas with sweetness of a different kind!”

  “How can I refuse your sweetness when I have not questioned either your lineage or your asceticism? Now watch what I’m going to do with these dates to show you how much I respect you.”

  So saying he started swallowing the dates one after another; he would have finished the entire plate if Abu Rakwa had not snatched it away.

  “I don’t need any such proof,” he said. “I trust you completely.”

  Shihab al-Din was deeply touched and struggled to continue. “I had not planned to open my heart to you,” he said, “till I had entered the battle and, along with the tribe under your aegis, achieved a great
victory in the regions of Barqa. However, now that you have anticipated things in this meeting of ours, I will show you all the arrows in my quiver. A while ago I said that what I lack is you; more precisely, you need me just as much as I need you. If we pooled our resources and reached an agreement, we would make a combination that was unbeatable: I with my never-failing sword, you with your trusty shield; I by joining territory to territory, you by watering and fostering them; I through curbs and threats, you through promises of a life of ease. So are you prepared to make me part of your ocean of understanding and take me with you on your quest?”

  “Woe to you, young man!” Abu Rakwa said. “You’re racing ahead of events at top speed. What you’re talking about is secular rule!”

  “If we plan to expand, what other resort is there?”

  “Maybe. But why bother discussing it before the appropriate time? Have we won alt our battles and resolved all our residual problems already, so that all that’s left to worry about is secular authority?”

  “Such general authority is crucially important. If that’s what we really want and need, then it’s better to dream about it before victory rather than after. Aren’t you the one who said, ‘We shall move by way of Barqa, with Egypt and Syria as our goal”? How can we traverse regions and reach our goal if we don’t show people how we intend to rule and administer justice? By Your Lord, let’s make a pact, you and I, something we can swear on and aspire to, then we can proceed to make space for our dreams and proceed to implement them.”

  “Suppose I agree to a pact, what will you tell your people?”

  “You ask me such a question, when you know the secrets of things better than anyone! Here you are talking to me as though my relationship with my tribe were like slippery mud and I had no right to show myself among them. Enough of flattery! Just look at yourself through me. You will see that each of us is a twin of the other. What we both want is for these tribes to abandon their marginal status and their caves and to give up all thought of discord and strife. All they want is to march behind us and have us as leaders to guide them and implement our lofty goals.”