The conversion of Hazrat Ibrahim bin Adham (from Hazrat Fariduddin Attar's r.a.Stories of the Saints)
Hazrat Ibrahim bin Adham’s conversion from the life of this world, came about in this manner. He was a prince of Balkh, [current Afghanistan, also the birthplace of Maulana Rumi] with a world under his command; forty mounted guards with gold swords went before and after him.
One night he was asleep upon his royal couch. At midnight the roof of the apartment shook, as if someone was walking on the roof.“Who is there?” he shouted.“A friend,” came the reply. “I have lost a camel, and am searching for it on this roof.”“Fool, who looks for a camel on the roof?” cried Ibrahim.“Heedless one,” answered the voice, “who seeks God in silken clothes, asleep on a golden couch?”
These words filled his heart with terror. A flame burned within him, and he could not sleep any more. When day came he sat on his throne, thoughtful and confused. His courtiers stood in their places; his slaves were drawn up in ranks. General audience was proclaimed.
Suddenly a old man with impressive demeanor entered the chamber, so awesome to look upon that none of the royal retinue or servants dared ask him his name; the tonguesof all clove to their throats. He advanced solemnly till he stood before the throne.
“What do you want?” demanded Ibrahim.“I have just alighted at this caravanserai,” said the man.
“This is not a caravanserai. This is my palace. You are mad,” shouted Ibrahim.
“Who owned this palace before you?” asked the man.“My father,” Ibrahim replied.“And before him?”“My grandfather.”“And before him?”“So-and-so.”“And before him?”“The father of So-and-so.”
“Where have they all departed?” asked the man.“They have gone. They are dead,” Ibrahim replied.“Then is this not a caravanserai which one man enters and another leaves?”With these words the stranger vanished. He was Hazrat Khizr, upon whom be peace.
The flame burned more fiercely still in Ibrahim’s soul, and the anguish withinhim increased every moment. Visions by day were followed by hearing voices by night, equally mysterious and incomprehensible.
“Saddle my horse,” Ibrahim said at last. “I will go to the hunt. I know not what this thing is, that has come upon me. Lord God, how will this affair end?”
His horse was saddled and he proceeded to the chase. Headlong he galloped across the desert; it was as if he knew not what he was doing. In that bewilderment he became separated from his troops. Suddenly, he heard a voice.
“Awake!”
Afraid, he pretended not to have heard it, and rode on. A second time the voice came, but he heeded it not. A third time he heard the same, and hurled himself farther away. Then the voice sounded a fourth time.
“Awake, before you are stricken awake!”
He now lost all self-control. At that instant a deer appeared, and Ibrahim turned & prepared to give chase. The deer spoke to him, “Was it for this that you were created, or is this what you were commanded?”
“Ah, what is this that has come upon me?” Ibrahim cried. And he turned his face from the deer. He thereupon heard the same words issuing from his saddle. Terror and fear possessed him. The revelation became clearer yet, for Almighty God willed to complete the transaction. A third time the selfsame voice proceeded from the collar of his cloak. The revelation was thus consummated, and the heavens were opened unto him.
Sure faith was now established in him. He dismounted; all his garments, and the horse itself, were dripping with his tears. He made true and sincere repentance. Turning aside from the road, he saw a shepherd wearing rough-spun clothes and cap of wool [Suf, driving his sheep before him. Looking closely, Ibrahim saw that the man was a slave of his. Stopping him, he bestowed on him his gold-embroidered cloak and bejeweled cap, together with the sheep, and took from him his clothes and hat of felt. These he donned himself. All the angelic hostsstood gazing on Ibrahim.
“What a kingdom has come to the son of Adham,” they cried. “He has cast away the filthy garments of the world, and has donned the glorious robes of poverty.”
Even so he proceeded on foot to wander over mountains and endless deserts, lamenting over his sins, absorbed in worship, until he came to Merv. There he saw a man who had fallen from the bridge and was about to perish, swept away by the river. Ibrahim shouted from afar.“O God, preserve him!”The man remained suspended in the air until helpers arrived and drew him up. They were astonished at Hazrat Ibrahim.“What man is this?” they cried.
Ibrahim departed from that place, and marched on to Nishapur. There he searched for a desolate corner where he might busy himself with obedience to God. In the end he hit upon the famous cave where he dwelt for nine years, three years in each apartment. Who knows what occupied him there through the nights and days? For it needed a mighty man of uncommon substance to be able to be there alone by night.
Every Thursday he would climb above the cavern and collect a bundle of firewood. Next morning he would set out, for Nishapur and there sell the brushwood. Having performed the Friday prayer, he would buy bread with the money he had gained, give half to a beggar and use half himself to break his daily fast. So he did every week.
One night he was asleep upon his royal couch. At midnight the roof of the apartment shook, as if someone was walking on the roof.“Who is there?” he shouted.“A friend,” came the reply. “I have lost a camel, and am searching for it on this roof.”“Fool, who looks for a camel on the roof?” cried Ibrahim.“Heedless one,” answered the voice, “who seeks God in silken clothes, asleep on a golden couch?”
These words filled his heart with terror. A flame burned within him, and he could not sleep any more. When day came he sat on his throne, thoughtful and confused. His courtiers stood in their places; his slaves were drawn up in ranks. General audience was proclaimed.
Suddenly a old man with impressive demeanor entered the chamber, so awesome to look upon that none of the royal retinue or servants dared ask him his name; the tonguesof all clove to their throats. He advanced solemnly till he stood before the throne.
“What do you want?” demanded Ibrahim.“I have just alighted at this caravanserai,” said the man.
“This is not a caravanserai. This is my palace. You are mad,” shouted Ibrahim.
“Who owned this palace before you?” asked the man.“My father,” Ibrahim replied.“And before him?”“My grandfather.”“And before him?”“So-and-so.”“And before him?”“The father of So-and-so.”
“Where have they all departed?” asked the man.“They have gone. They are dead,” Ibrahim replied.“Then is this not a caravanserai which one man enters and another leaves?”With these words the stranger vanished. He was Hazrat Khizr, upon whom be peace.
The flame burned more fiercely still in Ibrahim’s soul, and the anguish withinhim increased every moment. Visions by day were followed by hearing voices by night, equally mysterious and incomprehensible.
“Saddle my horse,” Ibrahim said at last. “I will go to the hunt. I know not what this thing is, that has come upon me. Lord God, how will this affair end?”
His horse was saddled and he proceeded to the chase. Headlong he galloped across the desert; it was as if he knew not what he was doing. In that bewilderment he became separated from his troops. Suddenly, he heard a voice.
“Awake!”
Afraid, he pretended not to have heard it, and rode on. A second time the voice came, but he heeded it not. A third time he heard the same, and hurled himself farther away. Then the voice sounded a fourth time.
“Awake, before you are stricken awake!”
He now lost all self-control. At that instant a deer appeared, and Ibrahim turned & prepared to give chase. The deer spoke to him, “Was it for this that you were created, or is this what you were commanded?”
“Ah, what is this that has come upon me?” Ibrahim cried. And he turned his face from the deer. He thereupon heard the same words issuing from his saddle. Terror and fear possessed him. The revelation became clearer yet, for Almighty God willed to complete the transaction. A third time the selfsame voice proceeded from the collar of his cloak. The revelation was thus consummated, and the heavens were opened unto him.
Sure faith was now established in him. He dismounted; all his garments, and the horse itself, were dripping with his tears. He made true and sincere repentance. Turning aside from the road, he saw a shepherd wearing rough-spun clothes and cap of wool [Suf, driving his sheep before him. Looking closely, Ibrahim saw that the man was a slave of his. Stopping him, he bestowed on him his gold-embroidered cloak and bejeweled cap, together with the sheep, and took from him his clothes and hat of felt. These he donned himself. All the angelic hostsstood gazing on Ibrahim.
“What a kingdom has come to the son of Adham,” they cried. “He has cast away the filthy garments of the world, and has donned the glorious robes of poverty.”
Even so he proceeded on foot to wander over mountains and endless deserts, lamenting over his sins, absorbed in worship, until he came to Merv. There he saw a man who had fallen from the bridge and was about to perish, swept away by the river. Ibrahim shouted from afar.“O God, preserve him!”The man remained suspended in the air until helpers arrived and drew him up. They were astonished at Hazrat Ibrahim.“What man is this?” they cried.
Ibrahim departed from that place, and marched on to Nishapur. There he searched for a desolate corner where he might busy himself with obedience to God. In the end he hit upon the famous cave where he dwelt for nine years, three years in each apartment. Who knows what occupied him there through the nights and days? For it needed a mighty man of uncommon substance to be able to be there alone by night.
Every Thursday he would climb above the cavern and collect a bundle of firewood. Next morning he would set out, for Nishapur and there sell the brushwood. Having performed the Friday prayer, he would buy bread with the money he had gained, give half to a beggar and use half himself to break his daily fast. So he did every week.
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