128 - ʿAbd Allāh narrated to us, Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn narrated to me, Aḥmad ibn Sahl al-Urdunī narrated to me, ʿAbbād Abū ʿUtba al-Khawwāṣ narrated to me, he said: A man among the ascetics who used to travel in the mountains narrated to me, saying: I had no ambition for anything of this world, nor any pleasure, except in meeting them—meaning: the Substitute Saints (al-Abdāl) and the ascetics. He said: While I was one day on a seashore where no people dwelled and no ships docked, I suddenly saw a man who had come out from those mountains. When he saw me, he fled and started running, so I followed him, running behind him, until he fell on his face and I reached him [[so I said, "From whom are you fleeing, may God have mercy on you?" But he did not speak to me, so I said, "I only intend good, so teach me."]] So he said: "Hold fast to the truth wherever you are, for by God, I do not praise my soul such that I would invite you to emulate its deeds." Then he let out a cry and fell down dead. I remained not knowing what to do with him. He said: Night fell upon us, so I stepped aside and slept at a distance from him. In my sleep, I was shown four individuals who descended upon him from heaven on their horses; they dug a grave for him, shrouded him, prayed over him, and buried him. I woke up terrified by what I had seen, and slumber left me for the rest of the night. When morning came, I went to his location and kept searching for his trace and looking, until I saw a fresh grave that I believed was the grave I had seen in my dream. (1)