# Chapter CXVI explained — The Luzumiyat

> Chapter companion for The Luzumiyat by Abu al-ʻAlaʼ al-Maʻarri.

## What happens

The chapter reflects on the inevitability of death, where even the mightiest Sultan returns to clay, and in that state may inadvertently aid a humble slave in his devotion, ultimately becoming an offering to the divine.

## Themes in this chapter

### Mortality and Transience

The Sultan's inevitable return to clay underscores the transient nature of power and life.

### Critique of Power and Hypocrisy

The mighty Sultan is reduced to a mere vessel for a slave's devotion, challenging the permanence of earthly authority.

## Character check-ins

### The Sultan

The mighty Sultan is destined to return to clay, illustrating the leveling power of mortality.

### Allah

Allah is the divine recipient of the slave's prayers and the one who transforms the Sultan into an incense urn.

## Key lines

> To clay the mighty Sultan must return

Even the most powerful ruler will eventually die and decompose into earth.

_Highlights the universal fate of death that spares no one, regardless of status._

> And, chancing, help a praying slave to burn His midnight oil before the face of Him, Who of the Sultan makes an incense urn.

By chance, the Sultan's remains may assist a devout slave in his nightly prayers, as God transforms the Sultan into an incense burner.

_Illustrates the ironic reversal where the powerful become tools for the humble in their worship._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_luzumiyat_se/chapters/cxvi
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_luzumiyat_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_luzumiyat_se/chapters