, hence, for thou shalt be
pelted with stones; and a curse shall be upon thee till the day of
judgement". The devil said, "O Lord, give me respite unto the day of
resurrection". God said, "Verily, thou shalt be respited until the
appointed time ".'[61]

'And does it not appear to you, Mufti Sahib, that in respiting the
devil Iblis till the day of resurrection, some injustice was done to
the children of Adam?'

'How?'

'Because he replies, "O Lord, because thou hast seduced me, I will
surely tempt men to disobedience in the earth".'

'No, sir, because he could only tempt those who were _predestined_ to
go astray, for he adds, "I will seduce all, except such of them as
shall be _thy chosen servants_". God said, "This is the right way
with me. Verily, as to my servants, thou shalt have no power over
them; but over those only who shall be seduced, and who shall follow
thee; and hell is surely denounced to them all ".'[62]

'Then you think, Mufti Sahib, that the devil could seduce only such
as were predestined to go astray, and who would have gone astray
whether he, the devil, had been respited or not?'

'Certainly I do.'

'Does it not then appear to you that it is as unjust to predestine
men to do that for which they are to be sent to hell, as it would be
to leave them all unguided to the temptations of the devil?'

'These are difficult questions,' replied the Mufti, 'which we cannot
venture to ask even ourselves. All that we can do is to endeavour to
understand what is written in the holy book, and act according to it.
God made us all, and he has the right to do what he pleases with what
he has made; the potter makes two vessels, he dashes the one on the
ground, but the other he sells to stand in the palaces of princes.'

'But a pot has no soul, Mufti Sahib, to be roasted to all eternity in
hell!'

'True, sir; these are questions beyond the reach of human
understanding.'

'How often do you read over the Koran?'

'I read the whole over about three times a month,' replied the
Mufti.[63]

I mentioned this conversation one day to the Nawab Ali-ud-din,[64] a
most estimable old gentleman of seventy years of age, who resides at
Muradabad, and asked him whether he did not think it a singular
omission on the part of Muhammad, after his journey to heaven, not to
tell mankind some of the truths that have since been discovered
regarding the nature of the bodies that fill these heavens, and the
laws that govern their