É. Apor , I. Ormos (ed.): Goldziher Memorial Conference, June 21–22, 2000, Budapest.

DÉVÉNYI, Kinga: Information Exchange Before the Internet: On law aqsama alá lláh la-abarrahu in Goldziher's Correspondence

INFORMATION EXCHANGE BEFORE THE INTERNET And if one of them would swear and say 'I swear by Thee oh, God that it will rain at this hour'," then He would let the rain fall instantly to fulfil his oath by Him. It is the same as if one of us swears by a true friend of him that he [the true friend] would visit him at a scheduled time and you see that he [i.e. the true friend] complies with his request and fulfils his oath and arrives at the time he gave without a minute of difference. This is due to the ties of affection and love between the two of them {but God's is the most sublime example}." But it cannot be concealed from your sound taste and your correct understanding that this description can apply only to those who attained in the sincerity of God's - to Him belongs glory and power - service the high degrees and the sublime stations. Therefore the prominent Süfis called this step "the station of liberty"'

' at which only a very few men arrived. This is the meaning of the hadith and the state of those described by it. Besides, the eminent, respectable Right Honourable Dr. Moritz,

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4 the director of the Khedivial Library sends you his sweet-smelling greetings and beautiful salutations. I ask you to accept the deep appreciation and respect of the writer [of this letter] Muhammad CA1T al-Bibläwi Deputy director of the Khedivial Library and preacher in the al-Husayn mosque, Cairo The circumstances of the letter Although Goldziher does not mention al-Bibläwi in his Diary," he describes his visit to Egypt - together with a group of secondary school teachers from Hungary - in February 1896. On the 11th of that month, the group visited the Kutubkhäna"' amongst other libraries in Cairo. It seems very likely that they met there. 1

1 See Goldziher's treatment of salät al-istisqä

', Goldziher (1906), 37. 1

2 Q. XVI. 60. 1

3 "Liberty" in the sense that the Süfi who attained this station is so intimate with God that he can take liberties with Him. 1

4 Bernhard Moritz (1859-1939), the founder of the collection of papyri at the Khedivial Library, held the office of director between 25 October 1896 and 31 August 1911. See Sayyid (1996), 97, 103. 1

5 Goldziher (1978). "' Goldziher mentions in the Tagebuch (1978), 198, that he met Völlers - who was at that time the director of the Kutubkhäna - and that they went to Darb al-Gamämiz, where not only the Diwän al-madäris but also the Khedivial Library was situated at that time. See Sayyid (1996), 22, 25. The visit to the library is also mentioned by Körösi (1899), 6, who describes in detail the programme of the group of teachers in Egypt. 27