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PREFACE vil
SO be that the unbelievers shall remain in Hell for ever, they
will at last feel its fiery torments a pleasure and delight.
Ibn al-‘Arabf is said to have claimed that he was the Seal
of the Saints, as Muhammad was the Seal of the Prophets,
and also that the Saints are superior to the Prophets, but it
is very doubtful whether these accusations are well founded.
He seems to have maintained that the Prophets, in so far as
they are Saints, derive their knowledge from the Seal of the
Saints, and that the Prophets in virtue of their saintship are
superior to the Prophets in virtue of their prophetic dignity
(cf. iv, i ; xviii, 8). He does assert, however, that he had
reached a spiritual degree whicli was not attained by any of
his peei’S (xxiv, 4).
I desire gratefully to acknowledge the valuable assistance
of Sir Charles Lyall, who read the text and translation in
manuscript, and made a number of suggestions, nearly all of
which I have inserted in the book while it was passing
through the press. The fact that it has undergone his
criticism enables me to offer it to students of Arabic
poetry with more confidence than would otherwise have
been possible. My thanks are due also to the Libi’arian of
the Univei'sity of Leiden, who caused two MSS. of the
Tarjumdn to be sent to Cambridge, and allowed them to
remain there as long as they were required.