264 . A MALAY PANTHEIST CHARM. 
power, will, hearing, sight and speech. And seven parts of the 
body must be bowed to ‘God in prayer: the forehead, the palms of 
the hands, the knees and the toes of the feet. 
“The intention of the ‘ key? is because we have utter trust and 
union by surrendering ourselves to God Most High, according to 
His word: ‘ Hold yourselves fast to the cord of God which breaks 
not neither is there concealment of His will from mystical know- 
ledge;’ as said the Prophet on whom be God’s peace :— Nothing 
‘at all moves save by permission of Allah.? For we cannot behold 
aught if the cord break and it cannot break save by the will of God 
Most High, and there is no other can break it. 
“And the intention of the ‘key’ is Muhammad Apostle of 
God for God is utterly hidden; none other save himself knoweth 
Him, for He cherisheth His glory. And the Reality of God Most 
High wasrevealed to the spirit of Muhammad our Prophet and from 
that Spirit God Most High created all this universe, and all the 
cattributes of His secret wisdom were revealed: and so it is that 
Muhammacsl is called the ‘kev, because he opened the treasure- 
house that was hidden, according to His word:—‘I opened that 
which was closed.’ 
“And the intention of the protection of God is according to 
His word: ‘God Most High is with thee wheresoever thou art, ac- 
cording to His word: ‘ God is nearer to thee than the muscles of thy 
mecke 
““ And the intention of ‘ roof’ is the power of God to cover any 
of His servants with mercy according to His will, so that he be 
locked away from all enemies and danger in this world and the next, 
neither shall the lock he opened by genie or man save with the per- 
mission of God Most High.” 
Was it some such charm as this that Sultan Ahmad of old 
Malacca was expecting to learn from the Makhdum, whom he took 
on his elephant into battle against the Portuguese and who cried 
clutching the howdah with both hands, “ Sultan | This is no place 
to study the Unity of God. let us return.” (Séejarah Melayu. 
Chapter 34). In chapter 20 of the Séjarah Mélayu we have a 
reference to a Meccan, Maulana Abu Ishak a mystic (fahan pada 
“ilmu tasawwuf) practising austerities, the author of a work the 
Dar al-mathlum, who despatched a pupil Abu Bakar to Malacca to 
teach the doctrine of Kssence and Attributes and Works contained 
in his book. Sultan Mansur Shah got a Pasai pundit to translate 
it. All the notabilities of Malacca became pupils of the Meccan 
and even the Kathi sat at his feet after he had seen the newcomer 
with a halo of hght about him. Then Sultan Mansur Shah offered 
a present of gold and two female slaves to any Pasai theologian who 
could solve the problems whether those in heaven and those in hell 
remain in their respective places for ever. .A Pasai pundit replied 
openly that they did, quoting the authority of the Koran. But the 
Sultan of Pasai summoned him, hinted that an embassy could not 
Jour. Straits Branch 
