Aslam

When satisfaction becomes lasting, strong and firm, breast expands. The children of Israil suffered for seven years owing to famine. Then Moses came out to pray for rain with seventy thousand people. God revealed to him: Let Barkh Asad pray for the people. Their sins are gathered over them, their hearts are impure, they pray to Me without certain faith and they are secure from My punishment. God to him and tell him to come out. Hazrat Moses enquired of him but failed to find him out. One day Moses was walking on the road when he found a black slave coming towards him. There was spots of earth on his forehead as a result of prostration. There was a sheet of cloth tied round his neck. Moses recognised him with the help of God's light, saluted him and asked: What is your name? He said: My mane is Barkh. Moses said: We are searching you for a long time. Pray for rain.

He said: "O God, is this Thy work? Is this Thy patience? Why is it disclosed to you that fountains have gone down, air refused to obey Thee or what is near Thee has ended and Thy wealth has become narrow for the sinners? Were you not forgiving before Thou created these sinners? Thou hast created kindness and enjoined us kindness. Dost Thou not see that Thou art not giving our required food? Dost Thou give us punishment for this that nobody advances towards Thee?" Hardly had he said this when rain began to fall and the people present began to be drenched. By God's command, vegetables, plants and grass grew that very noon to knee's height: Then Barkh returned. Moses came to them and said: How have you seen him when arguing with my Lord? God revealed to him: Barkh excites My laughter thrice daily.

Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 291

Hazrat Hasan Basri said: Once several houses at Basara were burnt by fire, but one of the houses was not burnt. Hazrat Abu Musa was then Governor of Basra. When he was informed of this of this affair, he called for the owner of the house and said: O Shaikh, why has not your house been burnt? The owner of the house said: I took oath from my Lord that He would not burnt it. Then Hazrat Abu Musa said: I heard the Prophet say: There will appear one section of my people whose hairs will remain dishevelled and whose cloths unclean. When they give oath to God, He will prove it to be true. In another narration, it is reported that once the city of Basra caught fire. Abu Obaidah came there and began to walk upon fire. The Governor of Basra said to him: Be careful that you may not be burnt by fire. He said: I gave oath to my Lord that He would not burn me by fire. Then when he was walking upon fire, it extinguished.

Abu Hafs was one day walking when a mad man came to him and he said: What has happened to you? He said: My ass in missing and I have got nothing except it. Abu Hafs said: O God, by Thy glory, 1 will not further advance till you return the ass to him. Then the ass came and Abu Hafs went away.