Aslam

Ihya-bin-Muaz saw Abu Yezid standing on the sole of his feet and praying. He made prostration at the time of pre-dawn tiffin and prolonged it and then said: O God, a company of men are searching You: You gave them power to walk over water and fly in the air. They are satisfied with that. I seek refuge to you from it. A company of men seek you and you have given them power to travel in the earth and they are satisfied with that. I seek refuge to you from it. A company of men search you and you have given them treasure of the world and they are satisfied with it. I take refuge to you from it. He then addressed us: O Ihya. I said: Present. He asked: How long you here? I said: For long. He remained silent. I asked: Give me clue to it. He said: I will tell you what will be good to you. God took me to the lowest region and showed it to me. He took round the world and the planets. Then he showed me the heavens. He showed me Paradise and the Throne. He said to me keeping me in His front: I will give you what you have seen. I said: O Lord, I have not seen a better thing which I may seek from you thinking it better than You. He said: You are My real servant. You do real service to Me. I will treat with you such and such.

Abu Torab Nakhshali was satisfied with one of his disciples. He used to go to him and help him in his good works. Abu Torab said to him one day: If you had been Abu Yezid, it would have been good. He said: I have got not need of him. Abu Torab repeat it, but the disciple said: What shall I do in meeting with Abu yezid? I had a vision of God. So I don't require to meet him. Abu Torab said: Do you take pride in meeting with God? If you had seen Abu Yezid once only it would have done you benefit more than meeting with God seventy times. The young man said: How can it occur? Abu Torab said: You don't see God near you but you will see God near Abu Yezid. Abu Torab said: We went there and stood on a lofty place and waited, so that Abu Yezid might come out from a cave. He used to reside in such a cave which was haunted by ferocious beasts. Abu Yezid threw a sheet made of camel's fur over his body and was passing by us. I said to the young man: He is Abu Yezid, look at him. The young man looked at him and at once fell senseless. We saw that he breathed his last. We said to Abu Yezid: Your look has killed him. He said: It is not that. Your friend was a truthful and did not disclose the secrets he kept in his breast concealed. When he saw us, the secrets of his heart were disclosed and he could not bear it. He was in the stage of a weak disciple and it has killed him.

Vol-IV THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES 311