If this legened pertained to Persia, I would have said that the emerald
had melted in the burnt temple. This sacrificial altar must have been
made from it, although I know that emerald and fire are antagonistic to
each other. As for the problem of the walls, one would presume that
there would be no wall but only doors.
A similar nonsensical fable has been described in the DaUl al-Duniya
wa al-Akhirah (Guide to the World and the Hereafter). The Qaf mountain surrounds the whole world, and it is made of green emerald. The
distance from its foot to the summit is eighty leagues. The greenish hue
of the sky is the colour of its peaks. Devils take emerald stones from
there and distribute them among the people.
May God have Mercy upon these devils! And, therefore, he writes
that God has kept the numbers of the devils small, just as the number of
emeralds is also small.
The people of Shamniah describe such legends about their high
mountain. It is below the North Pole and all its four sides comprise
rubies of different colours. The dust-coloured ruby is said to be closer to
their side and because of this the colour of the sky also appears dusty.
Story-tellers say about Dhu al-Qarnayn that when he entered the
dark region of the world, the stones under the hoofs of the horses (of
his army) began to crack. He, thereupon, told his friends that these
stones were the stones of reprentence. Anyone who picked them up
would repent of his deed and he who would leave them alone, would also
grieve. Some of his companions picked them up and some did not.
When they came to the bright region of the world, they saw that they
had picked up emeralds. Those that had picked them felt rueful that
they had not picked more of them and those that had not, also regretted
at not having picked them.
Precious emeralds are, therefore, associated with the ziihnat (darkness at the extremity of the world) and it is said that the emeralds that
are in the possession of people are the same that had been picked up
there. They are gaining in value as they are becoming scantier.
There is no place on earth where there is permanent darkness, unless
of course there be a roof from which the entry of light has been cut off;
otherwise, it is the polar regions that are the darkest. They are bright for
six months and dark for the other six months. I swear upon my life that
emerald is zulmati but only on account of its mine.
It is impossible to mine it without the help of a lamp: and this
characteristic is specific to it. However, it is a waste of time to argue
about the truth or falsehood of these insubstantial claims.
There is no region on earth submerged in total darkness except the
polar regions, if it is said that there are (other) regions where night
reigns for months together, then such cold would be intolerable for man,
