It is related that the Seyyid Burhānu-’d-Dīn was often heard to narrate that, when Jelāl was a child, the Seyyid was his governor and tutor. He had often taken Jelāl up on his shoulder, and so carried him to the empyrean. “But now,” he would add, “Jelāl has attained to such eminence of station that he carries me up.” These sayings of the Seyyid were repeated to Jelāl, who confirmed them with the remark: “It is quite true; and a hundredfold more also; the services rendered to me by that man are infinite.”
7.
When Jelāl went to Damascus to study, he passed by Sīs in Upper Cilicia. There, in a cave, dwelt forty Christian monks, who had a great reputation for sanctity, but in reality were mere jugglers.
On the approach of Jelāl’s caravan to the cave, the monks caused a little boy to ascend into the air, and there remain standing between heaven and earth.
Jelāl noticed this exhibition, and fell into a reverie. Hereupon, the child began to weep and wail, saying that the man in the reverie was frightening him. The monks told him not to be afraid, but to come down. “Oh!” cried the child, “I am as though nailed here, unable to move hand or foot.”
The monks became alarmed. They flocked around Jelāl, and begged him to release the child. After a time, he seemed to hear and understand them. His answer was: “Only through the acceptance of Islām by yourselves, all of you, as well as by the child, can he be saved.”
In the end they all embraced Islām, and wished to follow Jelāl as his disciples. He recommended them, however, to remain in their cave, as before, to cease from practising jugglery, and to serve God in the spirit and in truth. So he proceeded on his journey.
8.
Jelāl remained seven years, or four years, at Damascus; and there he first saw his great friend Shemsu-’d-Dīn of Tebrīz, clothed in his noted black felt and peculiar cap. Shems addressed him; but he turned away, and mixed in the crowd. Soon afterwards, he returned to Qonya by way of Qaysariyya. At this latter place, under the guiding supervision of his spiritual teacher, the Seyyid Burhānu-’d-Dīn, Jelāl fasted three consecutive periods of forty days each,[12] with only a pot of water and two or three loaves of barley bread. He showed no signs of suffering. Burhān now pronounced him perfect in all science, patent and occult, human and spiritual. (Compare chap. ii. No. 3.)