94 - 'Alī ibn al-Ḥasan ibn Mūsā narrated to me, from Mūsā ibn 'Īsā, from al-Walīd ibn Muslim, from al-Awzā'ī, who said: One of the wise men narrated to me, saying: I set out intending to guard the frontier, until when I reached Arīsh Miṣr (al-'Arīsh in Egypt) or just before Arīsh Miṣr, I suddenly came upon a small tent, and inside it was a man whose hands, feet, and eyesight were gone, and he was saying: "O Allah, I praise You with a praise that equals the praises of Your creation, as fits Your favor over the rest of Your creation, since You have favored me over many of those You created with marked favor." I said: By Allah, I will certainly ask him whether he learned this or if it was inspired to him as an inspiration.

He said: So I approached him and greeted him with peace, and he returned the greeting of peace to me. I said: I am going to ask you about something, will you inform me about it? He said: If I have knowledge of it, I will inform you. I said: For which of His blessings do you praise Him, or for which of His favors do you thank Him? He said: Do you not see what He has done to me? He said: I said: Indeed. He said: By Allah, even if Allah—Glorified is He—were to pour down Hellfire from the sky upon me so that it burned me, and commanded the mountains so that they crushed me, and commanded the seas so that they drowned me, and commanded the earth so that it swallowed me, I would only increase in love for Him and would only increase in gratitude to Him. But I have a request of you: a young son of mine used to attend to me at the time of my Prayer (ṣalāh) and feed me when I broke my fast, but I have missed him since yesterday; see if you can sense him for me.

So I said: Indeed, fulfilling the need of this servant is a means of drawing close to Allah. He said: So I went out searching for him, until when I was between sand dunes, I suddenly saw a wild beast that had mauled the boy and was eating him. He said: I said: "To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return." How shall I approach this righteous servant gently and inform him of the news so that he does not die? He said: So I came to him and greeted him with peace, and he returned the greeting of peace to me. I said: I am going to ask you about something, will you inform me about it? He said: If I have knowledge of it, I will inform you. He said: I said: Are you more noble in station with Allah, or Ayyūb, peace be upon him? He said: Rather, Ayyūb, Peace and blessings of God be upon him, was more noble with Allah than me, and greater in station with Allah than me. He said: I said: Did not Allah test him and he was patient, until those who used to be close to him grew alienated from him and he became a target for passers-by? He said: Yes. I said: Well, your son whose story you told me about, I went out searching for him, until when I was between sand dunes, I suddenly saw a wild beast that had mauled the boy and was eating him. So he said: Praise be to Allah, Who did not place in my heart any regret over the worldly life. Then he uttered a deep gasp and died, May Allah have mercy on him.

He said: I said: "To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return." Who will help me with his Ritual bath (Gusl), his shroud, and his burial? He said: While I was in that state, I suddenly saw a riding party who had spurred their mounts intending to guard the frontier. He said: So I signaled to them, and they came toward me. They said: What is the matter with you and this man? So I informed them of his story. He said: So they dismounted, and we washed him with sea water, and shrouded him in garments that were with them, and I was appointed to lead the prayer over him from among them, and we buried him in that tent of his. The people then proceeded to their frontier duty, and I spent that night in his tent to feel close to him. When as much of the night had passed as remained of it, I suddenly saw my companion in a green garden, wearing green garments, standing and reciting the Revelation. I said: Are you not my companion? He said: Yes. I said: What brought you to what I see? He said: I arrived among the patient at a rank that they attained only through patience during affliction and gratitude during prosperity.

Al-Awzā'ī said: The wise man said to me: O Abū 'Amr, what do you reject about this saint? He took him as a friend, then tested him and he was patient, and gave to him and he was grateful? By Allah, if all that the sides of the mountains bend over, and the shells of the seas smile with, and night and day pass over were given by Allah to the lowest of His creation, that would not diminish anything from His kingdom. Al-Walīd said: Al-Awzā'ī said to me: I have never ceased to love the people of affliction ever since the wise man narrated this hadith to me.