87.
With his last breath Jelāl recommended to Husāmu-’d-Dīn to lay him in the upper part of his tomb, so that he might be the first to rise at the last day.
As he lay in his extreme sickness, there were earthquakes for seven days and nights, very severe, so that walls and houses were overthrown. On the seventh occasion, all his disciples were alarmed. He, however, calmly remarked: “Poor earth! it is eager for a fat morsel! It shall have one!”
He then gave his last instructions to his disciples, as follows:—“I recommend unto you the fear of God, in public and in private; abstemiousness in eating and in sleeping, as also in speaking; the avoidance of rebelliousness and of sin; constancy in fasting, continuous worship, and perpetual abstinence from fleshly lusts; long-suffering under the ill-treatment of all mankind; to shun the companionship of the light-minded and of the common herd; to associate with the righteous and with men of worth. For verily ‘the best of mankind is he who benefiteth men,’[23] and ‘the best of speech is that which is short and to the purpose.’”[24]
88.
The following is a prayer taught by Jelāl, on his deathbed, to one of his friends, to be used whenever affliction or care might weigh upon him:—
“O our Lord God, I breathe but for Thee, and I stretch forth my spirit towards Thee, that I may recite Thy doxologies abundantly, commemorating Thee frequently. O our Lord God, lay not on me an ailment that may make me forgetful to commemorate Thee, or lessen my yearning towards Thee, or cut off the delight I experience in reciting the litanies of Thy praise. Grant me not a health that may engender or increase in me presumptuous or thankless insolence. For Thy mercy’s sake, O Thou Most-Merciful of the compassionate. Amen.”
89.
A friend was seated by Jelāl’s pillow, and Jelāl leaned on that friend’s bosom. Suddenly a most handsome youth appeared at the door of the room, to the utmost astonishment of the friend.
Jelāl arose and advanced to receive the stranger. But the friend was quicker, and quietly asked his business. The stranger answered: “I am ‘Azrā’īl, the angel of departure and separation. I am come, by the divine command, to inquire what commission the Master may have to intrust to me.”