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attendants of the circle of Abu Yazeed al-Bastami (one of three
mystic ‘masters’). Nevertheless, he was unable to find the kind of
knowledge, which Abu Yazeed possessed! So, Abu Yazeed taught
him that even if he fasts for three hundred years and offers Salaat
throughout the nights of such period he would not be able to find
even an ant-weight of such knowledge! When asked about the
‘cure,’ Abu Yazeed told him that he should shave his head and
beard, hang a nosebag filled with nuts around his neck, gather
some kids in the market around him and tell them, ‘Everyone
who slaps me once, I will give him a nut!’ 123
4. Shah Abu Saeed Naumani traveled to Balkh to his Shaikh in
order to learn Sufism. His Shaikh started his training by assigning
him to look after the toilets. He was given little food but was not
allowed to meet his Shaikh not was any Dhikr prescribed for him.
After a considerable period passed, the Shaikh ordered a cleaner
to dump a basket of dirt onto Abu Saeed. The cleaner did as he
was told. This angered Abu Saeed and he threatened the cleaner,
which meant that he was not ready to enter Sufism. After a period
of time, the Shaikh again instructed the cleaner to do as before,
but this time Abu Saeed got angry but did not say anything. Now
too, Abu Saeed was not ready. After a period of time, the Shaikh
instructed the cleaner to throw dirt on Abu Saeed again. On this
occasion his Nafs was completely docile and submissiveness. He
gathered the dirt, which had fallen to ground and strew it onto
himself. When the Hazrat Shaikh was informed, he commented:
“Alhamdulillah! The first stage has been traversed.” 124
Taking a step further, the Sufis began to address themselves as
dogs, given that dog is generally looked down upon. The Qur’aan
says, “So his description is the description of a dog: if you drive
him away, he lolls his tongue out, or if you leave him alone, he
(still) lolls his tongue out. Such is the description of the people
who reject Our Ayah (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs,
revelations, etc.).” 125
123 Qut al-Quloob vol.2, p.70.
124 Mashaikh-e-Chist (Eng. Trans.) p.192.
125 Soorah a-A’raf (7): 176.
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