Death will overtake us even in lofty towers.

From the beginning God hath settled the place in which each man shall die." In his figurative language the Arab said: "No man can by flight escape his fate.

The Destinies ride their horses by night....
Whether asleep in bed or in the storm of battle, the angel of death will find thee." "I am convinced," said Ali, to whose wisdom we have already referred--"I am convinced that the affairs of men go by divine decree, and not by our administration." The Mussulmen are those who submissively resign themselves to the will of God.

They reconciled fate and free-will by saying, "The outline is given us, we color the picture of life as we will." They said that, if we would overcome the laws of Nature, we must not resist, we must balance them against each other.
This dark doctrine prepared its devotees for the accomplishment of great things--things such as the Saracens did accomplish.

It converted despair into resignation, and taught men to disdain hope.