The delightful hours were the time spent with the Friend...

The delightful hours were the time spent with the Friend, The rest was all fruitlessness and ignorance.' The Shaykh on his Deathbed In less than an hour I noticed that the Shaykh's condition got worse. I asked him whether to call a doctor for him - I was sure that he would pass away that day. The Shaykh replied: "It's up to you." The doctor wrote a prescription and I went out to have it filled. When I returned I saw the Shaykh was taken to another room.

He was sitting facing the qiblah with a white sheet covering his legs; he was touching the white sheet with his thumb and forefinger. I was very attentive to see how a man of God departs from the world. All of a sudden there was a change of state in him as if someone was whispering something in his ears. He said: "Insha Allah (God willing)." Then he said: "What day is today? Bring today's supplication!" I recited that day's supplication.

Then he said: "Have it read by Agha Sayyid Ahmad too." He recited it, too. Then the Shaykh said: "Raise your hands to the sky and say: Ya Karim al-'afw, Ya 'Azim al-'afw (O Noble! Forgive me, O Great! Forgive me), may God forgive me." I looked at my friend and said: 'Let me go to bring Agha Suhayli, as it seems my dream is coming true and he is meeting his end, and I left.' Welcome my Dear Master! The Shaykh's son related the rest of this story as follows: 'I saw my father's room was crowded.

They said the reverend Shaykh's condition was serious. I entered the room right away and saw my father-who had made ablution few moments before and came into the room-was leaning in his bed facing the qibla; but all of a sudden he sat up and said while smiling: "Welcome my dear master !"[^2] He seemed to shake hands with someone, lay down, and passed away while having the same smile on his lips!

The First Night after the Burial Another of his friends said: 'In a dream, I saw the Shaykh on the first night after his burial. I saw that a grand station was bestowed upon him by Mawla Amir al-Mu'minin Ali (a). I approached that station; as soon as he saw me, he took a very tender and fine glance at me like a father who admonishes his son and the son is paying no attention.

His glance reminded me that he always would say: "Do not want other than God." But we were still encumbered by our vain desires. I got further closer to him.