Aslam

(22) The great saint Omar said: My maternal uncle Basr-b-Hares said to my mother, O my sister, I have been suffering very badly owing to pain in my stomach. My mother said to him: O brother, if you say, I shall prepare for you Harisa with some wheat. If you take it, your stomach may be healed. My maternal uncle told her: Woe to you. God will question me: Wherefrom have you got this wheat? I fear it. I do not know wherefrom you have got it. My mother began to weep along with my maternal uncle. Even I also began to weep. Omar said: My mother saw him extremely hungry, even he felt weakness in taking breath. My mother said to him: O my brother, had your mother not given birth to me, it would have been good. By God, my spleen is being cut seeing your condition. I heard that he was saying to my mother: O my sister, I am saying it also. Had not my mother given birth to me, it would have been better. Even after birth, had she not suckled me, it would have been better. My mother wept day and night for me.

(23) The sage Rabi said: Once I came to the great saint Wais Qarni and saw him seated after morning prayer. I also took my seat and thought that I won't disturb him in his Tasbeeh. In that

352 THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES Vol-IV

condition, he prayed Asr prayer. After Asr, he remained in that posture upto Magrib. Thereafter he began to read Tasbih upto night prayer. After night prayer, he remained in his posture till the next morning prayer. Thereafter when the slumber overtook him, he said: I seek refuge to you from the oppression of the sleeping eyes and the greedy stoma tch. Seeing this condition of his, I though that it is a sufficient lesson to me. Then I came back.

(24) One pious Christian said: I came to Ibrahim-b-Adham and remained seated behind him after he finished the night prayer. At first he covered his' body with a long gown and afterwards he put it off. He did not move from one side to another upto the morning prayer. Thereafter when the Muazzen raised the cry for prayer, he went to pray without any new ablution. At this, doubt was raised in my mind. I asked him: May God show mercy on you. You have passed sleepless night but you have not renewed your ablution. He said: I was travelling last night sometimes in the gardens of Paradise and some times in the caves of Hell; Can I sleep in the midst of these things?

(25) The sage Saleh Bohani said: I saw many people who became so exhausted owing to constant prayer that they found it very difficult to walk upto their beds.

(26) It is reported that the great saint Abu Bakr Ibn Iyash did not lay his side on bed for 40 years, although his family members did not know it for 20 years.

(27) It has been reported that the great saint Samnun used to pray 500 rakats of prayer daily.