Abd al-Rahman III (891–961 AD) was Caliph of Córdoba, in present day Spain, during much of the 10th century and one of the most powerful men of his time. His reign was very successful from a military and a political perspective. Born on 7 or 11 January 891, he ascended the throne in 912, after the death of his grandfather. He was a superb general and an astute politician, during his long reign he fought decades of battles and brought glory to his kingdom to declare himself Caliph Commander of the Faithful in 929. Not only is he remembered for his military prowess but he is also remembered as a tolerant humanist who built palaces and collected books. He died on 15 October 961 after ruling for 50 years. In his lateral years he died at age 70, he wrote a letter, supposedly for his successor. He is reported to have written ‘I have now reigned above fifty years in victory or peace, beloved by my subjects, dreaded by my enemies, and respected by my allies. Riches and honours, power and pleasure, have waited on my call, nor does any earthly blessing appear to have been wanting to my felicity. In this situation, I have diligently numbered the days of pure and genuine happiness which have fallen to my lot: they amount to FOURTEEN: O man! place not thy confidence in this present world!’ His conclusion provides a valuable insight into the elusive nature of happiness.
The writer of Ecclesiastes a book in the Bible, was also written by a man of riches and honour. In riches of gold and precious stones King Solomon exceeded all the kings and noble in the known world. His power, wisdom and desire for pleasure out passed the authorities of the day. He too wrote a letter at the close of his life and in it he said ‘And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour,’ Ecclesiastes 2 verse 10.
However, just like Abd al-Rahman III he found that they brought little pleasure. His own life’s evaluation was as equally sobering as the Caliph. Riches, he realized, just led to a desire for more, ‘He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity,’ Ecclesiastes 5 verse 10. While pleasures accomplished little and lasted only a brief time, success he found could be due to chance as much as ability. He wrote in Ecclesiastes 9 verse 11 ‘I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all’. Nevertheless, his assessment didn’t end as bleakly as Abd al-Rahman’s. He believed God was his ultimate source of happiness, that man had been made for eternity so understood that earthly pleasures and achievements wouldn’t satisfy them. Having a personal relationship with the living God he saw that he could have genuine happiness in his life.
Abd al-Rahman III saw the folly of man and his plea was ‘O man! Place not they confidence in this present world!’ Like King Solomon you and I can enjoy true happiness when we have the living God in the centre of our lives. The book of Proverbs chapter 16 verse 20 says ‘whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.’
P.Pilgrim pilgrimway101@yahoo.com
