On the Fall of the Abbasid Caliphate

It would be right for the sky to weep tears of blood upon the earth, mourning the fall of the reign of al-Musta'sim, Commander of the Faithful. Muhammad, if you would raise your head from the dust on Judgment Day, raise it now and see this Judgment already fallen upon your people. The blood of the ruthlessly slaughtered has poured past the threshold of the sacred court's cherished ones, while our own eyes weep blood into our sleeves. Beware the turning of the world and the reversals of time; no one ever imagined that things so great could come to this. Open your eyes, you who once saw the splendor of the Holy Gate, the Caesars of Rome bowing their heads to its dust, the Khaqans of China too. The blood of the children of the Prophet's kin was spilled upon the very ground where kings once laid their brows in reverence. Oh, if a fly should so much as land on the blood of those pure ones, its mouth would find honey turned bitter until the Day of Judgment. After this we can expect no more comfort from the world; once the gem falls out, only pitch remains in the ring. The Tigris runs with blood now, and if it flows downstream from here, it will knead the soil of the palm groves of Mecca's valley with blood. The face of the sea drew tight at this terrible news; you can see the frown of grief in the wrinkles the waves have raised upon it. Weeping is useless, and it is pointless to try washing away with water the grief branded on a man's heart or the mark seared on a horse's flank. Lament does not befit the graves of martyrs, for the least reward they receive is the highest paradise. Yet out of Muslim brotherhood and along the path of mercy, a kind heart burns with grief at the loss of those dear ones. Wait until tomorrow, when you will see the day of justice and resurrection, and the buried rise from the grave still marked with bloody wounds. The dust their feet had touched was kohl for the eyes; on the Day of Reckoning their blood will be the rouge of the wide-eyed maidens of paradise. What harm if the wounded body rolls in dust and blood, when the pure soul dwells in the shelter of the Lord of the Worlds' grace? One should not lean on the world or set one's heart on it, for the sky is sometimes loving, brother, and sometimes full of spite. The turning wheel of heaven is like two millstones on the ground, and between them, day and night, the hearts of men are ground to flour. The strength of a brave man's arm cannot hold out against death; once fate arrives, no firm resolve or sound counsel avails. The Indian blade will not leave its sheath on the day of battle for the lionhearted man who has death lying in ambush for him. Experience is worthless once fortune turns away; what good is charging forward for one whose saddle has slipped? Men fight like vultures over the carrion of this world; brother, if you are wise, sit apart like the Simurgh. What is the worth of a worldly kingdom? This is my one plea to God: let Him keep for us the realm of faith and certainty. Lord, keep this pillar of Islam in safety, under the protection of the just king, the leader of the realm and the faith. The king of auspicious fortune, refuge of the age, Abu Bakr Sa'd, whose character is admired and whose qualities are the finest. It is wise to trust his clear-sighted judgment; with those who hold the upper hand, one should speak only with gentleness. So over land and sea, well-wishers pray for his fortune: a thousand blessings on your soul from the Soul-Giver. May your days be blessed and your good fortune lasting, your banner victorious, your fate bearing fruit, and your success assured.