26.
On a certain occasion, one of his disciples complained to Jelāl of the scantiness of his means and the extent of his needs. Jelāl answered: “Out upon thee! Get thee gone! Henceforward, count me not a friend of thine; and so, peradventure, wealth may come to thee.” He then related the following anecdote:—
“It happened, once, that a certain disciple of the Prophet said to him: ‘I love thee!’ The Prophet answered: ‘Why tarriest thou, then? Haste to put on a breastplate of steel, and set thy face to encounter misfortunes. Prepare thyself, also, to endure straitness, the special gift of the friends and lovers (of God and His Apostle)!’”
Another anecdote, also, he thus narrated: “A Gnostic adept once asked of a rich man which he loved best, riches or sin. The latter answered that he loved riches best. The other replied: ‘Thou sayest not the truth. Thou better lovest sin and calamity. Seest thou not that thou leavest thy riches behind, whilst thou carriest thy sin and thy calamity about with thee, making thyself reprehensible in the sight of God! Be a man! Exert thyself to carry thy riches with thee, and sin not; since thou lovest thy riches. What thou hast to do is this: Send thy riches to God ere thou goest before Him thyself; peradventure, they may work thee some advantage; even as God hath said (Qur’ān lxxiii. 20): ‘And that which ye send before, for your souls, of good works, shall ye find with God. He is the best and the greatest in rewarding.”
27.
It is related that one day the Perwāna, Mu’īnu-’d-Dīn, held a great assembly in his palace. To this meeting were collected together all the Doctors of the Law, the Sheykhs, the men of piety, the recluses, and the strangers who had congregated from various lands.
The chiefs of the law had taken their places in the highest seats. The Perwāna had had a great desire that Jelāl should honour the assembly with his presence. He had a son-in-law, Mejdu-’d-Dīn, governor to the young princes, the sons of the king. This son-in-law of his was a disciple of Jelāl’s, and a man of very eminent qualities, with great faith in his teacher. He offered to go and invite Jelāl to the meeting.
Hereupon, the arch-sower of doubts and animosities in the human breast spread among the chiefs of the law, there present, the suspicion that, if Jelāl should come, the question of precedence would arise: “Where should he be seated?” They all agreed that they were themselves in their proper places, and that Jelāl must find a seat where he could.
Mejdu-’d-Dīn delivered the Perwāna’s courteous message to his teacher. Jelāl, inviting Husāmu-’d-Dīn and others of his disciples to accompany him, set out for the Perwāna’s palace. The disciples went on a little ahead, and Jelāl brought up the procession.
When Husām entered the apartment of the Perwāna, all present rose to receive him, making room for him in the upper seats. Lastly, Jelāl made his appearance.