At Yemen. ? COMPANIONS of AMIN brought before the Court, as having trespassed upon the land. ? A CONSTABLE leads AMIN'S four COMPANIONS before the CHIEF and his COLLEAGUES.

CONSTABLE. Sir, these men have trespassed in our country without permission, and they come with the excuse that they are exiles from their own land.

CHIEF. Yes, we have received a letter from the authorities of their country saying that they must not be allowed to enter here. (Turning to one of the four COMPANIONS.) What have you to say about this?

FIRST COMPANION. We beg to be excused for having entered your land, but it was inevitable. We were persecuted as heretics by our people, and were expelled from our country.

CHIEF. What is the reason of this persecution: What have you done against your people's religion?

FIRST COMPANION. We have done nothing against the existing religion of our people. Our blessed leader has been speaking for some time to those who cared to listen, of the ways to better their condition in life, individually and collectively. And those among them who wish to keep the simple people of our land under their sway oppose the Message of God.

CHIEF. Where is your leader? Send for him. I should like to see him.

FIRST COMPANION. Yes, Sir, I will go and fetch him. I am sure he will be able to explain better to you all you wish to know.

(The COMPANION leaves the Court. A policeman follows.)

CHIEF. What is the name of your leader? What is he? Does he work wonders? Has he anything extraordinary in him, which made you follow him?

SECOND COMPANION. We shall follow him, Sir, to the end of the world, whether he takes us to heaven or hell. We trust him too much ever to doubt him. He is to us a messenger of God, though he for himself is most unpretentious. He does not perform miracles; he does not claim to have any extraordinary powers. He says, ' I am a human being as anyone else, subject to pleasure and pain, birth and death.' The only privilege he has is in the service for which he has been called.

(Enter AMIN with the COMPANION, followed by the policeman. He greets the CHIEF.)

CHIEF. What have you to say? What do you teach?

AMIN. I warn my people of the coming of that day when man will no longer hold his position, his rank, however high or great. Those near and dear to him will remove him from their midst the moment that the breath leaves the body. If life on earth is a few days only, there is a time to come to answer for every grain one has eaten from this earth, and to pay for every drop of water one has drunk. This world, I say, is not a stage set for man to amuse himself; it is a school for him to learn his lesson.

I tell them that if you will trust anyone, trust in God; if you will depend on anyone, depend on God; if you will confide in anyone, confide in God; if you will revere anyone, worship God. Death is not the end of this life; death is the bridge that unites friend with friend. Therefore, when doing the duties honestly in this world, man must think of that life also, which is to come.

CHIEF. All you say is quite clear to me. I do not think any of us here would make objections to your teaching. On the other hand, we should be only too glad to have among us a man like you, who brings to us the knowledge, which is the need of every soul. Truly, they say that a prophet is not recognized in his own country. I do not see why they had to go so far as to exile you from your country. If one door is closed behind you, another is opened before you. You are welcome here. I am quite sure my Colleagues, who are the principal authorities of our State, think the same as I do.

COLLEAGUES. Yes, certainly we do.

CHIEF. We shall give you all facilities to stay here among us, to give the advantage of your teaching to our people, who, I am sure, will be immensely benefited by it. Besides, we shall seek your inspiring guidance in the reconstruction of our Commonwealth, considering your coming now, at the moment of our social and political crisis, as the hand of Providence.

AMIN. I could wish nothing better from you than to be of some service to you, Sir, and to your people, to whom I feel indebted for having allowed me to live among you. I sought refuge with you and you have confided to me the affairs of your homeland. I will try my best to prove worthy of your trust.

(Exit AMIN with COMPANIONS.)

CURTAIN

Scene 2

AMIN sitting in the seat of honor. The CHIEF and his COLLEAGUES seated to his right and left. FOUR COMPANIONS sitting behind him. Coffee served.

CHIEF (to all.) Here we have among us Amin, who has won our hearts, who has illuminated our souls. Our trust in him is eternal; no time however long can develop that confidence in our hearts, which he has kindled in us in a moment. We see before us in our social and political activities a promise, as there is no problem that remains unsolved once Amin throws his light upon it. Things, which seemed difficult he makes easy for us; things subtle become simple in his presence. He tells us nothing new; all he says to us appears as if we have always known it, and yet we were not conscious of it. Amin is our light, not only in life's dark corners, but he is the torch that illuminates our path.

COLLEAGUE. All you have said, Chief is true. We must value and appreciate Amin's presence among us by trying to understand him better, and by trying to follow all he teaches us more closely.

(CONSTABLE enters.)

CONSTABLE (to CHIEF.) There is an envoy from our neighboring country who wishes to see you, Sir.

CHIEF. Yes, send him in.

(Enter ENVOY; greets the CHIEF.)

COLLEAGUE. Please take a seat.

CHIEF. What has brought you here?

ENVOY. I am sent by the authorities of my State, Sir, with a summons. We ask you, Sir, to give us our criminals who have fled from our country.

CHIEF. What crime have they committed?

ENVOY. They are accused of every crime, Sir. All crimes put together make one crime, and that crime is the one of which they are accused.

CHIEF. But what crime?

ENVOY. A crime beyond words.

CHIEF. But I want to know what crime.

ENVOY. The crime is beyond comprehension, Sir.

COLLEAGUE. Do you know before whom you are standing? This is Amin, now the head of our Commonwealth, to whom you have brought a summons.

(ENVOY is frightened, with starting eyes and trembling like a leaf, turning his head right and left.)

CHIEF. Go and tell the authorities of your State that your accusations are unfounded. Amin is now the leader of our people in their worldly and spiritual strife.

ENVOY. Then I will go, Sir, and tell my people all you have said. Thank you very much. Goodbye.

(ENVOY goes out hastily. He falls down on the way; grasps the leg of the POLICEMAN.)

ENVOY (to POLICEMAN.) Come along.

POLICEMAN (with his hand on his neck.) Go.

(AMIN looks sad.)

FOURTH COMPANION. Our Master, I feel your sadness over the stupidity of our people. I cannot help feeling, since our hearts are focused on yours.

AMIN. Yes, you are right, but it is a passing cloud; it will pass away in time. All balances up in the end, cruelty on their part and kindness on yours.

What I feel deeply, and very often, is that the call for service came to me on the Hera mountain, and it was meant that my people should be enlightened and helped. And is spite of all the good work which is being done here, I continually feel that something remains undone. And so long as that work is not attended to, I shall not consider my task accomplished, I shall always feel a sore spot in my heart.

CHIEF. We will spare no effort, our Teacher! Our means, our energy, even our lives we will place at your command, if we can assist you in accomplishing your task.

FOURTH COMPANION. We are ready to answer your call, Master, even if it be with our life's sacrifice. Command any of us to go and spread your ideas among those who do not understand them.

AMIN. No; I will not risk your lives; you are too precious to me. I only ask of you to let me go to deliver His Message to my people.

CHIEF. No, Amin, that cannot be; if you go, we shall be your bodyguard; if harm comes to you, we shall be your shield. For death in a holy cause will be our liberation.

(AMIN is deeply touched by their readiness to serve.)

AMIN. Let us all go, for it is meant that we should share one another's joys and sorrows.

CHIEF (to AMIN.) We are most happy that you have granted our request. (To COLLEAGUES.) Prepare and be ready to start on the journey to guard our Leader and to defend our Cause.

(All stand and shout, waving their hands: Amin victorious! Exit all, happy and enthusiastic.)

CURTAIN

Scene 3

Mecca. ? Commotion at the Town Hall. People rushing hither and thither restlessly. Enter SHERIF of Mecca. The GOVERNORS receive him

SHERIF. I have just heard the news that we are threatened with invasion by our neighboring State. From one source I have word that they are already on the way. And we are not in the least ready to defend our land. Alas, we have not among our young men another Amin.' One man with the Spirit is greater than an army.' How we miss Amin at this time of our need!

FIRST GOVERNOR. Yes, if only he had not become so crazy over his religious fad!

SHERIF. Now what can we do? Have we any means of defense?

SECOND GOVERNOR. We are not prepared. We did not know of it until this morning. Nothing can be done.

SHERIF. But what can we do to maintain the pride of our people?

SECOND GOVERNOR. Pride! If we have nothing to be proud of, what is it to us?

SHERIF (sadly.) These last few years we have gone from bad to worse!

THIRD GOVERNOR. Worse! We cannot fall any lower!

(Enter SOLDIER.)

SOLDIER. Sir, a large force of armed men have almost reached the gate of Mecca.

SHERIF. Now what do you think we should do?

FOURTH GOVERNER. Surrender without hesitation!

(Enter women in a state of alarm. SOLDIER enters.)

SOLDIER. They are entering our gate; The Town Hall is surrounded!

(AMIN enters in general's uniform, his bodyguard following him. SHERIF with the GOVERNORS greets him.)

SHERIF. We surrender, sir, being unprepared for your sudden invasion.

(Enter the CHIEF.)

CHIEF. At the head of our army is Amin, the one who was an exile from your land, whom you threw out of your country with insults and made homeless. His companions were caused all manner of injury by you, and those who sided with him were wounded and some killed.

SHERIF. We are sorry for all that was done by our people to Amin. We are willing to pay you the sum of money you demand.

CHIEF. Before you pay us any money, I ask you to deliver to us all Amin's adversaries who have shown him hostility in the past.

(Criminals are brought. Some are agitated, some trembling, some with stern faces, some repentant.)

CHIEF (to AMIN.) Here are the men who have tormented your life and that of those near and dear to you. Dictate the sentence that must be passed on them.

(The criminals listen attentively, looking at AMIN to hear what he will say.)

AMIN. I have forgotten all they have done to me. I forgive and ask the Lord to forgive them.

(All are surprised. The GOVERNORS are touched, the SHERIF is moved to tears. They bring to AMIN sacks of gold to pay the war indemnity.)

AMIN (turning to the CHIEF). Have we come here to take money from them? Do you wish any material gain from these people?

CHIEF. No, our Prophet! We have accompanied you to be with you. If only we have you, our Master! No money or territory is our object in coming here; it is to serve you.

SHERIF (to AMIN.) You are the pride of our people and your absence from here was the cause of our decline. Nothing would please us more than if you took this whole territory of Hedjaz and we shall feel most honored to proclaim you King.

(The GOVERNORS bring crown and scepter, and the SHERIF holds them before AMIN.)

SHERIF. Here are crown and scepter for you Amin.

AMIN. Much as I appreciate your asking me to become King, I will not do so. It is not for the kingdom I have come here; it is to serve you, my people, whose welfare is my heart's deep desire. I have come to deliver to you God's Message.

GOVERNOR. I beg your pardon, Sir, where can we find someone as inspired as you to govern our people, to control our affairs? You appeared as an enemy and prove to be our friend.

SHERIF. What Message do you wish to give us? We are ready to accept it from someone so selfless as you, Amin!

AMIN. Believe in one God. Remove the gods of the Kaba, which are but idols of rock. Consider love greater than law. Know that all men are equal before God; perform your prayers therefore, all standing before His divine Majesty: rich or poor, saint or sinner, all on one level. Tell your sorrows to your Lord, if you are sad; bring your repentance to your God, if you are repentant. Disgrace not your soul by prostrating yourselves before idols, for even man is limited. To God alone all praise is due.

SHERIF. We accept your Message, Prophet, from the bottom of our hearts; we shall hand it down to posterity. We witness that there is one God and that you, Prophet, are His Messenger. It is not your sword, which has won the victory over our Hearts, it is your noble spirit. Therefore, though you have given us our freedom by refusing to rule us, we shall maintain your reign forever over our souls.

AMIN. I am a man, one like any of you, subject to pain and death. Remember not to make of me an ideal, which you will not be able to uphold long. Raise me not beyond my limit, that you may not have to throw me down one day through disappointment. Consider me your brother, an honor which I value most. I leave my word with you, for you to guard the Message against all opposition. I leave this sacred manuscript with you, for you to hand over to the coming generation, uncorrupted. My success is not in earthly gain; renunciation is my real victory. (To the CHIEF.) I bless them all, but I will come with you who have been my friends in need.

(CHIEF and Bodyguards, aloud: Hail to Amin, our Faithful Trustee!)

CURTAIN