Chapter VIII: Self-Examination and Self-Accounting
(3) The great saint Junaid said: I heard Ibn Qaribi to say: I had a sexual polition in an intensely cold night. When I intended to have wash, my inner self told me to make delay and to take wash in the morning with hot water of the bath-room. I made divine service throughout my life. I should have washed myself without loss of time. I promised owing to the above dictation of self that I should have immediate wash with my cloth on and I would be wearing that wet cloth in cold season till it dried up on the body. In that way, he punished himself. (4) It was reported of Gazwan that when a certain woman joined a Jihad, he looked towards her and raised her hand towards her. At this, he slapped his eyes with such force that they became swollen and he said to his eyes: You are looking at such a thing which will do you immense harm.
(5) A certain man among them looked towards a woman with lust and he gave such a punishment to himself that he did not drink cold water during his life time. He used to drink warm water so that his thirst remained. (6) It is reported of Hassan b-Abi-Senan that he once passed by a fine building and said: When such a fine building was built? Thereafter he reproached his self and said: Why have you uttered such a word which will be no use to you? I will punish you by fasting for a year. He observed the fast and did not drink cold water during his whole
346 THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES Vol-IV
life. (7) The great saint Tamim Dari was so overtaken with sleep at a certain night that he could not pray his Tahajjud or night prayer. He therefore inflicted punishment on his self to the effect " that he performed prayer throughout the night for one year without having any sleep at night.
(8) Hazrat Talha said: Once a man took off his cloth and laid himself on an intensely hot sand in summer and said: Take taste of the fire of hell which is hotter than this. O dear one of night and idle one of day. When he was in such a condition, the Holy Prophet came to him from the shade of a tree and he told him: My baser self has become powerful over me. Then the Prophet said to him: There is no other medicine for this except the one which you have adopted. Look, the door of Paradise has been opened for you and the angels take pride for this act of yours. Then he told his companions: Take lesson from your brother.