ndlesticks
standing before the God of the earth."(40) These two souls are likened to
olive trees because at that time all lamps were lighted by olive oil. The
meaning is two persons from whom that spirit of the wisdom of God, which
is the cause of the illumination of the world, appears. These lights of
God were to radiate and shine; therefore, they are likened to two
candlesticks: the candlestick is the abode of the light, and from it the
light shines forth. In the same way the light of guidance would shine and
radiate from these illumined souls.

Then it is said: "They are standing before God," meaning that they are
standing in the service of God, and educating the creatures of God, such
as the barbarous nomad Arab tribes of the Arabian peninsula, whom they
educated in such a way that in those days they reached the highest degree
of civilization, and their fame and renown became worldwide.

"And if any man would hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and
devoureth their enemies."(41) That is to say, that no one would be able to
withstand them, that if a person wished to belittle their teachings and
their law, he would be surrounded and exterminated by this same law which
proceedeth out of their mouth; and everyone who attempted to injure, to
antagonize and to hate them would be destroyed by a command which would
come out of their mouth. And thus it happened: all their enemies were
vanquished, put to flight and annihilated. In this most evident way God
assisted them.

Afterward it is said: "These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not
in the days of their prophecy,"(42) meaning that in that cycle they would
be like kings. The law and teachings of Muhammad, and the explanations and
commentaries of 'Ali, are a heavenly bounty; if they wish to give this
bounty, they have power to do so. If they do not wish it, the rain will
not fall: in this connection rain stands for bounty.

Then it is said: "They have power over water to turn it to blood,"(43)
meaning that the prophethood of Muhammad was the same as that of Moses,
and that the power of 'Ali was the same as that of Joshua: if they wished,
they could turn the water of the Nile into blood, so far as the Egyptians
and those who denied them were concerned--that is to say, that that which
was the cause of their life, through their ignorance and pride, became the
cause of their death. So the kingdom, wealth and power of Pharaoh and his
people, which were the ca