Aslam

Thereafter he put down his hands and said: What connection have I got with the world and that of the world next? O world, as you are, sd you go to those people. Give all sorts of happiness to those who love you. Then he said: Where are the persons of bygone ages? They have now become rotten underneath the ground. They are now drowned in the ocean of forgetfulness? I said to him: O servant of God, I am staying with you from today. I am awaiting your leisure. He said: How can he get leisure who runs fast in search of Him? How can the person get leisure whose days have come to an end and whose sins remained behind? Then he said: You are for every difficulty whose advent I wait for. Then he recited this verse: 'What they did not think of appeared to them from Allah.' Then he raised a louder cry and fell senseless. I thought that his life has gone. I came to him and saw him fluttering. When he recovered, he said: Who am I? What is my thought? Forgive my faults by Thy mercy, cover me with the screen of Thy- mercy and wipe out my sins by the splendeur of Thy face, When I sand before Thee, I tell that benevolent man whose help I expected: Talk with me. He said: Talk with One whose talk will do you benefit and don't talk with one who will be destroyed by his sins. I am fighting with the devil here in accordance with the wishes of God and the devil is fighting with me but you want me to take me out of my condition. O disgraceful devil, be aloof from me, as you have baffled our language. I seek refuge to Allah from setting up partner with God. I hope He will give me refuge from His displeasure and shower blessings on me by virtue of His mercy, I thought in my mind that the" man is the friend of God . Then I left him.

(43) A pious man said: While I was travelling, I took refuge under the shade of a tree. An old man came to me and said: O gentle man, rise up. Their is no death of death. Then he was departing. I followed him and heard him say: Every soul shall taste of death. O God, give me good after death. 1 said: What will happen after death? He said: He who firmly believes what will come after death takes a great care and finds no place in the

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• world to take refuge. Then he said: O God! I look at One who makes a man's face luminous, my mind has become filled up with your love. Give me refuge from being dishonoured by you on the Resurrection Day. My time for return has come. Then he said: Had you had no patience even my death would not helped me. Had you had no pardon, there is no hope of nearness to You. Then he left me.

(44) The saint Qaraz-b-Obarah used to read the whole Quran daily for three times. He was asked: You have fought with