Aslam

(12) Hazrat Ibn Omar reporte: Hazrat Ihya, son of Prophet Zakaria, once entered Baitual Moqaddas when he was 8 years old and saw that the worshippers wore dress of wool and some of them leaned themselves against the pillars of the mosque.' At this, he went to his parents out of fear. Some of the boys of the street called him to play and he said to them: I have not been created to play. Then he asked his parents to dress him with dress of wool.
When this was done, he went to the mosque. During day time, he used to serve the mosque and at night time he used to do divine service therein. When he was 15 years old, he came out of the mosque and took refuge to a cave of a mountain. His parents searched for him and found him near a fountain in the condition that he put his feet in water although he was about to die parched with thirst and saying: By Thy honour and glory, I will not drink this cold water till I know my condition His parents requested him to eat and drink with them to which he responded and paid expiation of his oath. His parents took him to the sacred mosque.
When he wept in prayer, the trees and plants used to weep with him. His father also used to weep so much at seeing his son's weeping that he sometimes fell in swoon. He wept so much that the flesh of his cheeks melted and his teeth were visible and assumed an ugly look. His mother once said to him: O my dear son, if you give me permission, I may cover your face. When he gave her permission, his mother covered his face with an old skin. When he prayed, he wept and the skin became wet with his tears and his mother squeezed the skin.

(13) One day the prophet Zakaria said to him: O my dear son, I prayed to God to console my eyes through you. Prophet

140 FEAR AND HOPE Vol-IV

Ihya said: O father, Gabriel gave me the news that there is a vast field between Hell and Paradise. Nobody will be able to cross it except one who weeps for fear of God. Zakaria said, O darling, then keep on weeping.

(14) Jesus Christ said: O my disciples, patience arises out of sorrows and difficulties out of God-fear and love of Ferdous and keeps one away from the world. I tell you with truth that it is a common word to search for Ferdous by eating barley and lying in the foul places with dogs.

(15) It has been reported that when Abraham remembered his sins, he fell into swoon and the sound of his breast was heard from a distance of one mile. Gabriel then came to him and said:
Your Lord tenders you salam and says: Have you seen a friend fearing his friend? He then said: O Gabriel when I remember my sins, I forget friendship. So there are innumerable sayings about the fear of the Prophets.

FEAR OF COMPANIONS AND OTHER SAGES