Once in a very hot summer day...

Once in a very hot summer day, the Shaykh blew (some air onto his face with) a manual straw fan to cool off a little. As soon as he felt cool, he said at once: "وأستغفرك من كل لذة بغيرك ذِكرك ومن كل راحة بغير أنسك ومن كل سرور بغير قربك ومن كل شغل بغير طاعتك." "O God!

I pray forgiveness from Thee for every pleasure but remembering Thee, every ease but proximity with Thee, every happiness but nearness to Thee every occupation but obeying Thee![^6]" Another of his disciples, described the Shaykh's love of God as follows: 'The Shaykh was so enamored of God that in his presence nothing but talking about his beloved would be allowed to come up, except of course for some necessary subjects of daily matters.

Sometimes he referred to the story of Layli and Majnun , in which Majnun was never interested to hear anything but about Layli. It was related that someone asked Majnun: Is Ali (a) rightful or 'Umar? To which he answered: ' Layli is rightful!

, He (the Shaykh) would say: "Even if this story is not real, it may be fitting to drive home the (latent) reality in it." The Greatest Status The young tailor, in his intense love of God and perfection of sincerity, was granted the Supreme Status and the Sublime Destiny. Thus, as asserted by the (a), he achieved the virtues and stations of people of cognition (those endowed with Divine Knowledge) through a way other than the common ways.

Imam al-Sadiq (a) is quoted as saying: "ان أولي الألباب الذين عملوا بالفكرة حتى ورثوا منه حب الله – الى ان قال – فاذا بلغ هذه المنزلة جعل شهوته ومحبته في خالقه، فاذا فعل ذلك نزل المنزلة الكبرى فعاين ربه في قلبه، وورث الحكمة بغير ما ورثه الحكماء، وورث العلم بغير ما ورثه العلماء، وورث الصدق بغير ما ورثه الصديقون.

ان الحكماء ورثوا الحكمة بالصمت، وان العلماء ورثوا العلم بالطلب، وان الصديقين ورثوا الصدق بالخشوع وطول العبادة" "The wise people are those who put their thought in work by means of which to acquire Love of God.

When they reach this status--the holy Imam (a) went on to say--they set their desire and love toward their Creator, and thereby they reach the highest status, find their Lord in their hearts, and obtain wisdom not through the way the sages obtained, and find knowledge not through the way the scholars found, and achieve Sidq (sincerity) not through the way the pious achieved.