branch.
The poet has used the word, ramishnah which denotes twin leaves
which are joined in the middle and discrete at the end, like the leaves of
the myrtle, Such leaves are but rarely found. And, therefore, while
greeting the great ones, those leaves are taken in the hand, especially
while offering greetings to the Daylamites.
After clothes, come the jewels for adornment. Each country has its
own style of jewels, and each nation has specific jewels for use as rings,
jewels in the crown, necklaces, tassels, caps, gauntlets and gloves, in
pillars and sticks for use by courtiers.
Jewels are also used in the ear-rings, diadems, combs, clothes, bracelets, wraps, arm-bands, necklaces, and neck bands of women. The extravagant have gone so far as to have jewels studded in things that are far
removed from the body, e.g., the walls of the house, roofs, doors, and
ventilators which they decorate like their jewels. All this is done so that
the visitor to their house is impressed at first sight. Wealth and power
exudes from these things, but all that is far removed from reality, and
pride and dissimulation is all too visible.
Pause
The most important aspect of the perfection of muru'at, after purity,
is the use of perfumes. Perfumes attract others and invite them to
proximity. They are also liable to cover up defects. The nexus of the
definition of muru'at, offered by someone, namely, that one chooses for
others what he chooses for himself, resolves itself into the segregation of
what is permitted and what is prohibited. The definition given by another is that muru'at lies in eschewing the prohibited and pain. In fact,
if muru'at is defined as being held steadfast to the cause of faith, we shall
have all these things incorporated therein, as faith demands justice and
equality. It asserts the total annihilation of cruelty — since cruelty is the
reflection of one's selfishness' — and coming to the succour of the oppressed. The same implication is comprehended in the definition of
muru'at, namely, that one should not perform an act secretively which
he would not like to perform overtly. He who has beautified his actions
with nobility, has taken his food from lawfully earned income, has invited others to share equally in what he eats, has devoted himself to selfpurification and has crowned the latter with perfume, which is one of
the things of the world which the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has
praised, has pleased his fellow-partaker of food, brought him closer to
himself, has honoured him, has prevented ordeals from overtaking him,
has chosen for himself what he would like to choose for others, and is
not of the company that is niggardly in his largesse or eats alone, or beats
up his own slave.
