Aslam

Once Abdul Waheed was asked: Are you aware of such a person in this age who is engaged in His thoughts living in society? He said: I know of one man only who is of such a description. He will soon come to you. Soon after, Otbatul Golam came there. He asked him: Wherefrom have you come? He said: From a certain place. He again asked him: Have you met any person on the way? He replied: With nobody. He passed then by the market and hundreds of people passed by him. It is reported that the Prophet Ihya while passing by the way fell upon a woman whereupon she fell down on the ground. The people asked: Why have you done this? He said: I considered the woman as a wall.

, It is reported of a certain saint that he said: While passing by some people, I found them playing with bows and arrows. I found a man among them with whom I wished to talk. At this he said: Remembrance of Allah is better than conversation with the people. I asked him: Why are you sitting alone, here? He said: Why alone; My Lord and two angels are with me. I asked 'him: Who is the best of the people? He said: He is the best whom Allah has pardoned. I asked him: Towards which direction is. the path? He hinted at the sky. Thereafter he went away from that pla'ce and said: O God, most of the people have turned away from Thee. This is the message -of one who immerged himself in God. He does not speak but through Him and does not remember but through Him. Once the saint Shibli went to see the great saint Abul Hussain Nuri and saw him in such a deep meditation as if he was dead. The saint Shibli asked Nuri: Wherefrom have you , got this meditation and silent posture? He said: From my cat.

The sage Abu Abdullah Khalif said: I started from Egypt towards the desert in order to meet Abu AH Rozbari. The great saint Isa- b-Unus the Egyptian said to me that one old man and a young man are engaged in meditation at a place called Sur. If you see them once, you may get benefit from them. Thereafter I started for Sur and on the way I got fatigued owing to hunger and thirst. Round my waist there was a piece of cloth with nothing on the body. As soon as I entered the mosque, I found two men seated towards the Ka'ba and saluted them but they did not reply. I repeated it twice or thrice with no reply. Then I said: I ask

340 THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES Vol-IV

•

you swearing by God as to why you did not reply to my salutation. The young man raised his head looked towards me and said: O Ibn Khalif, life is very short and most of it passed away. You have taken a portion of the rest of life. O Ibn Khalif, your divine service is very little. Have you found time to meet us?" He said: I will adopt fully your way of life. Thereafter he lowered his head and sat silent.