large palaces. At the doors of some of these palaces was brilliant theatre-like merrymaking; it captured and held everyone’s attention and was entertaining them. I looked carefully and saw that the lord of one of the palaces had come to the door; he was playing with a dog and assisting the merrymaking. The ladies were indulging in sweet conversation with ill-mannered youths. Grown-up girls were organizing the children’s games. And the doorkeeper had assumed the role of directing the others. I then realized that inside, the huge palace was completely empty. Its refined duties all remained undone. Its inhabitants’ morals had declined so that they had taken on these roles at the door.

I passed on until I came to another large palace. I saw that there was a faithful dog stretched out at the door and a stern, taciturn doorkeeper; it had an undistinguished appearance. I was curious: why was the other the way it was and this palace like this? I went inside. Then I saw that the inside was very merry. Apartment over apartment, the people of the palace were busy with their various refined duties. The men in the first apartment were overseeing the administration and running of the palace. In the apartment over that, girls were teaching the children. Above that the ladies were occupied with fine arts and beautiful embroideries. And on the top floor, the lord was exchanging news with the king, and was busy with his own elevated duties in order to maintain the peoples’ tranquillity and his own attainments and progress. They did not stop me since I was not visible to them, and I was able to wander around. Then I came out and looked around: everywhere in the town were these two sorts of palaces. I asked about this and they told me: “The palaces where there is merrymaking at the door and whose insides are empty belong to the foremost of the unbelievers and people of misguidance. The others belong to honourable Muslim notables.” Then in one corner I came across a palace on which was written my name, SAID. I was curious. I looked more closely and as though saw my image on it. Calling out in utter bewilderment, I came to my senses and awoke.

Now I shall interpret the vision for you. May God cause good to come of it.

The town was human social life and the city of human civilization. Each of the palaces was a human being. The people of the palaces were the subtle human faculties like the eyes, ears, heart, inner heart, spirit, intellect, and things like the soul and caprice, and powers of lust and anger. Each of the faculties has a different duty of worship, and different pleasures and pains. The soul and caprice and powers of lust and anger are represented by the doorkeeper and the dog. So to subject the elevated subtle faculties to