Ebrahim ibn Adham

by Farid al-Din Attar

Abu Eshaq Ebrahim ibn Adham, born in Balkh of

pure Arab descent, is described in Sufi legend as a

prince who renounced his kingdom (somewhat

after the fashion of the Buddha) and wandered

westwards to live a life of complete asceticism,

earning his bread in Syria by honest manual toil

until his death in c. 165 (782).

Some accounts

state that he was killed on a naval expedition

against Byzantium. The story of his conversion is

a classic of Muslim hagiography.

The legend of Ebrahim ibn Adham

Ebrahim ibn Adham’s saintly career began in the following manner. He was king of Balkh, and a whole

world was under his command; forty gold swords and

forty gold maces were carried before and behind him.

One night he was asleep on his royal couch. At midnight the roof of the apartment vibrated, as if someone

was walking on the roof.

“Who is there?” he shouted.

“A friend,” came the reply. “I have lost a camel, and

am searching for it on this roof.”

“Fool, do you look for the camel on the roof?” cried

Ebrahim.

“Heedless one,” answered the voice, “do you seek

for God in silken clothes, asleep on a golden couch?”

These words filled his heart with terror. A fire

blazed within him, and he could not sleep any more.

When day came he returned to the dais and sat on his

throne, thoughtful, bewildered and full of care. The

ministers of state stood each in his place; his slaves

were drawn up in serried ranks. General audience was

proclaimed.

Suddenly a man with aweful mien entered the chamber, so terrible to look upon that none of the royal retinue and servants dared ask him his name; the tongues

of all clove to their throats. He advanced solemnly till

he stood before the throne.

“What do you want?” demanded Ebrahim.

“I have just alighted at this caravanserai,” said the

man. “This is not a caravanserai. This is my palace.

You are mad,” shouted Ebrahim.

“Who owned this palace before you?” asked the

man.

“My father,” Ebrahim replied.

“And before him?”

“My grandfather.”

“And before him?”

“So-and-so.”

“And before him?”

“The father of So-and-so.”

“Where have they all departed?” asked the man.

“They have gone. They are dead,” Ebrahim replied.

“Then is this not a caravanserai which one man

enters and another leaves?”

With these words the stranger vanished. He was

Khezr, upon whom be peace. The fire blazed more

fiercely still in Ebrahim’s soul, and the anguish within

him augmented momently. Visions by day followed the

hearing of voices by night, equally mysterious and

incomprehensible.

“Saddle my horse,” Ebrahim cried at last. “I will go

to the hunt. I know not what this thing is that has come

upon me today. Lord God, how will this affair end?”

His horse was saddled and he proceeded to the

chase. Headlong he galloped across the desert; it was as

if he knew not 9 what he was doing. In that state of

bewilderment he became separated from his troops. On

the way he suddenly heard a voice.

“Awake!”

He pretended not to have heard, and rode on. A second time the voice came, but he heeded it not. A third

time he heard the same, and hurled himself farther

away. Then the voice sounded a fourth time.

“Awake, before you are stricken awake!”

He now lost all self-control. At that instant a deer

started up, and Ebrahim prepared to give chase. The

deer spoke to him.

“I have been sent to hunt you. You cannot catch me.

Was it for this that you were created, or is this what

you were commanded?”

“Ah, what is this that has come upon me?” Ebrahim

cried.

And he turned his face from the deer. He thereupon

heard the same words issuing from the pommel of his

saddle. Terror and fear possessed him. The revelation

became clearer yet, for Almighty God willed to complete the transaction. A third time the selfsame voice

proceeded from the collar of his cloak. The revelation

was thus consummated, and the heavens were opened

unto him.

Sure faith was now established in him. He dismounted; all his garments, and the horse itself, were

dripping with his tears. He made true and sincere

repentance. Turning aside from the road, he saw a

shepherd wearing felt clothes and a hat of felt, driving

his sheep before him. Looking closely, he saw that he

was a slave of his. He bestowed on him his goldembroidered cloak and bejewelled cap, together with

the sheep, and took from him his clothes and hat of

felt. These he donned himself. All the angelic hosts

stood gazing on Ebrahim.

“What a kingdom has come to the son of Adham,”

they cried. “He has cast away the filthy garments of the

world, and has donned the glorious robes of poverty.”

Even so he proceeded on foot to wander over mountains and endless deserts, lamenting over his sins, until

he came to Merv. There he saw a man who had fallen

from the bridge and was about to perish, swept away

by the river. Ebrahim shouted from afar.

“O God, preserve him!”

The man remained suspended in the air until helpers

arrived and drew him up. They were astonished at

Ebrahim.

“What man is this?” they cried.

Ebrahim departed from that place, and marched on

to Nishapur. There he searched for a desolate corner

where he might busy himself with obedience to God. In

the end he hit upon the famous cave where he dwelt for

nine years, three years in each apartment. Who knows

what occupied him there through the nights and days?

For it needed a mighty man of uncommon substance to

be able to be there alone by night.

Every Thursday he would climb above the cavern

and collect a bundle of firewood. Next morning he

would set out, for Nishapur and there sell the brushwood. Having performed the Friday prayers, he would

buy bread with the money he had gained, give half to a

beggar and use half himself to break his fast. So he did

every week.

One winter’s night he was in that apartment. It was

extremely cold, and he had to break the ice to wash. All night he shivered, praying through till dawn. By dawn

he was in danger of perishing from the cold. By chance

the thought ‘ of a fire entered his mind. He saw a fur

on the ground. Wrapping himself up in the fur, he fell

asleep. When he awoke it was -broad daylight, and he

had become warm. He looked, and saw that the fur

was a dragon, its eyes saucers of blood. A mighty terror came upon him.

“Lord God,” he cried, “Thou didst send this thing

unto me in a shape of gentleness. Now I see it in a

dreadful form. I cannot endure it.”

Immediately the dragon moved away, twice or thrice

rubbed its face in the ground before him, and vanished.

Ebrahim ibn Adham goes to Mecca

When the fame of Ebrahim ibn Adham’s doings spread

abroad amongst men, he fled from the cave and set out

towards Mecca. In the desert he encountered one of the

great men of the Faith, who taught him the Greatest

Name of God and then took his departure. Ebrahim

called upon God by that Name, and immediately he

beheld Khezr, upon whom be peace.

“Ebrahim,” said Khezr, “that was my brother David

who taught you the Greatest Name.”

Then many words passed between Khezr and

Ebrahim. Khezr was the first who drew Ebrahim out, by the leave of God. Ebrahim relates as follows concerning the next stage of his pilgrimage.

“On reaching Dhat al-‘Erq I saw seventy men wearing the patchwork frock lying dead there, the blood

gushing out of their noses and ears. Circling them, I

found one who still had a spark of life in him.

“‘Young man,’ I cried, ‘what has happened here?’

“‘Son of Adham,’ he answered me, ‘keep to the

water and the prayer-niche. Go not far away, lest you

be banished; and come not too near, lest you be

anguished. Let no man be overbold in the presence of

Sultan. Have a lively fear of the Friend who slays pilgrims as if they were Greek infidels, and wages war

upon pilgrims. We were a Sufi community who had

set out into the desert trusting in God, resolved not to

utter one word, to think of naught but God, to move

and be still only with God in view and to heed none

but Him. When we had crossed the desert and were

come to the place where pilgrims robe themselves in

white, Khezr, upon whom be peace, came to us. We

greeted him, and he returned our salute, and we were

very happy, saying, “Praise be to God, the journey

was blessed, the quester has reached his quest, for

such a holy person came out to meet us.” Forthwith a

voice cried within us, “You liars and pretenders, such

were your words and covenant! You forgot Me, and busied yourselves with another. Depart! I will not

make peace with you until I snatch away your souls

in recompense and shed your blood with the sword of

jealous wrath.” These brave men whom you see lying

here are all victims of this retaliation. Beware,

Ebrahim! You too have the same ambition. Halt, or

depart far away!’

“‘Why did they spare you, then?’ I asked, deeply perplexed by his words.

“‘They told me, “They are ripe, you are still raw.

Live on a few moments yet, and you too will be ripe.

When you are ripe, you too will come in their wake.”‘

So saying, he gave up the ghost.”

Ebrahim was fourteen years crossing the desert,

praying and humbling himself all the way. When he

drew near to Mecca, the elders of the Haram hearing

of his approach came out to meet him. He thrust himself ahead of the caravan so that no one might recognize him. The servants preceded the elders, and they

saw Ebrahim going ahead of the caravan; but not having seen him before, they did not recognize him.

Coming up to him, they cried, “Ebrahim ibn Adham is

near at hand. The elders of the Haram have come out

to meet him.”

“What do you want of that heretic?” Ebrahim

demanded.

Straightway they set upon him and beat him up.

“The elders of Mecca go out to meet him, and you

call him a heretic?” they shouted.

‘I say he is a heretic,” Ebrahim repeated.

When they left him, Ebrahim turned to himself.

“Ha!” he cried. “You wanted the elders to come out

to meet you. Well, you have collected a few punches.

Praise be to God that I have seen you get your wish!”

Ebrahim then took up residence in Mecca. A circle of

companions formed around him, and he earned his

bread by the labour of his hands, working as a carpenter.

Ebrahim at Mecca is visited by his son

When Ebrahim ibn Adham quitted Balkh he left behind

him a suckling child. The latter, by now grown up,

asked his mother one day about his father.

“Your father is lost,” she replied.

The son thereupon made proclamation that all who

desired to perform the pilgrimage should assemble.

Four thousand presented themselves. He gave them all

their expenses to cover provisions and camels and led

the party Meccawards, hoping that God might grant

him sight of his father. Reaching Mecca, they encountered by the door of the Holy Mosque a party of patchwork-frocked Sufis.

“Do you know Ebrahim ibn Adham?” the son

enquired.

“He is a friend of ours,” they told him. “He is entertaining us, and has gone to hunt for food.”

The son asked them to direct him, and he went in his

track. The party emerging in the lower quarter of

Mecca, he saw his father unshod and bareheaded coming along with a load of firewood. Tears sprang to his

eyes, but he controlled himself and followed in his

father’s wake to the market. There his father began to

shout.

“Who will buy goodly things for goodly things?”

A baker called to him and took the firewood in

exchange for bread. Ebrahim brought the bread and

laid it before his companions.

“If I say who I am,” the son feared, “he will run

away.”

So he went to take counsel with his mother as to the

best way of recovering his father. His mother advised

patience.

“Be patient until we make the pilgrimage.”

When the boy departed, Ebrahim sat down with his

associates.

“Today there are women and children on this pilgrimage. Mind your eyes,” he charged them.

All accepted his counsel. When the pilgrims entered

Mecca and made the circumambulation of the Kaaba,

Ebrahim with his companions also circled the Holy House. A handsome boy approached him, and

Ebrahim looked at him keenly. His friends noticed this

and were astonished, but waited until they had finished

the circumambulation.

“God have mercy on you!” they then said to

Ebrahim. “You bade us not to glance at any woman or

child, and then you yourself gazed at a handsome lad.”

“Did you see?” Ebrahim exclaimed.

“We saw,” they replied.

“When I left Balkh,” Ebrahim told them, “I abandoned there a suckling son. I know that the lad is that

son.”

Next day one of the companions went out before

Ebrahim to look for the caravan from Balkh. Coming

upon it, he observed in the midst of the caravan a tent

pitched all of brocade. In the tent a throne was set,

and the boy was seated on the throne, reciting the

Koran and weeping. Ebrahim’s friend asked if he

might enter.

“Where do you come from?” he enquired.

“From Balkh,” the boy replied.

“Whose son are you?”

The boy put his hand to his face and began to weep.

“I have never seen my father, “he said, laying aside

the Koran. “Not until yesterday—I do not know

whether it was he or not. I am afraid that if I speak he

will run away, as he ran away from us before. My

father is Ebrahim-e Adham the King of Balkh.”

The man seized him to bring him to Ebrahim. His

mother rose and went along with him. Ebrahim, as

they approached him, was seated with his companions

before the Yemeni Corner. He espied from afar his

friend with the boy and his mother. As soon as the

woman saw him she cried aloud and could control herself no longer.

“This is your father.”

An indescribable tumult arose. All the bystanders

and friends of Ebrahim burst into tears. As soon as the

boy recovered himself he saluted his father. Ebrahim

returned his greeting and took him to his breast.

“What religion do you follow?” he asked.

“The religion of Islam,” answered his son.

“Praise be to God,” cried Ebrahim. “Do you know

the Koran?”

“I do.”

“Praise be to God. Have you studied the faith?”

“I have.”

Then Ebrahim would have departed, but the boy

would not let go of him. His mother wailed aloud.

Turning his face to heaven, Ebrahim cried, “O God,

succour me!”

The boy immediately expired in his embrace.

“What happened, Ebrahim?” his companions cried

out.

”When I took him to my breast,” Ebrahim

explained, “love for him stirred in my heart. A voice

spoke to me, ‘Ebrahim, you claim to love Me, and you

love another along with Me. You charge your companions not to look upon any strange woman or child, and

you have attached your heart to that woman and

child.’ When I heard this call, I prayed, ‘Lord of Glory,

come to my succour! He will so occupy my heart that

I shall forget to love Thee. Either take away his life or

mine.’ His death was the answer to my prayer.”

Source : Sufism.ir