d, "O
Mansur, before very long you will redden the head of the stake."[26]
"The day when I redden the head of the stake," rejoined Mansur, "you
will cast away the garment of the dervish and assume that of ordinary
men." It is related that on the day when Mansur was taken to execution
all the Ulama[27] signed the sentence of death. "Junaid also must sign,"
said the Caliph. Junaid accordingly repaired to the college of the
Ulama, where, after putting on a mullah's robe and turban, he recorded
in writing his opinion that "though apparently Mansur deserved death,
inwardly he possessed the knowledge of the Most High."

Having left Bagdad, Mansur spent a year at Tashter, then he spent five
years in travelling through Khorassan, Seistan and Turkestan. On his
return to Bagdad, the number of his followers largely increased, and he
gave utterance to many strange sayings which excited the suspicions of
the orthodox. At last he began to say, "I am the Truth." These words
were repeated to the Caliph, and many persons renounced Mansur as a
religious leader and appeared as witnesses against him. Among these was
Junaid, to whom the Caliph said, "O Junaid, what is the meaning of this
saying of Mansur?" "O Caliph," answered Junaid, "this man should be put
to death, for such a saying cannot be reasonably explained." The Caliph
then ordered him to be cast into prison. There for a whole year he
continued to hold discussions with the learned. At the end of that time
the Caliph forbade that anyone should have access to him; in
consequence, no one went to see him for five months except Abd Allah
Khafif. Another time Ibn Ata sent someone to say to him, "O Sheikh,
withdraw what you said, so that you may escape death." "Nay, rather he
who sent you to me should ask forgiveness," replied Mansur. Ibn Ata,
hearing this, shed tears and said, "Alas, he is irreparably lost!"

In order to force him to retract, he was first of all given three
hundred blows with a rod, but in vain. He was then led to execution. A
crowd of about a hundred thousand men followed him, and as he looked
round on them, he cried, "True! True! True! I am the Truth!"

It is said that among them was a dervish who asked him, "What is love?"
"Thou shalt see," Mansur replied, "to-day and to-morrow and the day
after." And, as it happened, that day he was put to death, the next day
his body was burnt, and on the third his ashes were scattered to the
winds. He meant that such would be th