th of Mujahid as a divine punishment
which menaced him also. He immediately sent for the Qazi Afzal, one of
his most devoted friends, and told him of his anxiety. The latter was a
friend of Akhund Mullah Muhammad Synd, a disciple of Mullah Shah, and at
his instance the Sheikh consented to see the prince.

Dara-Shikoh could not pay his visit during the day, from fear of
arousing public curiosity, but as soon as night fell, he presented
himself before the Sheikh, whom this time he found seated in his cell.
Before crossing the threshold, the Prince saluted the holy man with
profound respect, and the latter bade him enter and be seated. The cell
was lighted by a single lamp, whose wick was smoking; in his eager
desire to discern the venerable features of the Sheikh, the Prince
dressed the wick with his own fingers. This simple action gained him the
Sheikh's affection. At the end of some days he bade him to blindfold
himself, then he concentrated his attention upon him in such a way that
the invisible world was revealed to the view of the Prince, who felt his
heart filled with joy.

Dara-Shikoh had a sister, the Princess Fatimah, to whom he was deeply
attached. As soon as he had become a disciple of Mullah Shah and his
heart had been opened to the intuition of the spiritual world, he
hastened to inform his sister. This news made such an impression on the
mind of the Princess that she wrote to the Sheikh several letters full
of humility and devotion. He read them all, but made no reply for more
than a month, till he was convinced that Fatimah was animated by an
invincible resolution. At last he accorded his sympathy to her also, and
admitted her to the circle of the initiates. The Princess persevered
ardently in these mystical studies, and received the instructions of her
spiritual guide by correspondence. She attained to such perfection that
she arrived at intuitive knowledge of God and union with Him. Although
the Sheikh was full of affection for all his disciples, he had a
particular regard for her, and was in the habit of saying that "she had
attained to such an extraordinary degree of knowledge that she was fit
to be his successor."

Mullah Shah was now old and infirm; he had passed several winters at
Lahore, surrounded by the care and attention of his friends and pupils.
In the year 1655 A.D., the Emperor wrote to him to invite him
to pass the winter with him at Shahjahanabad, his ordinary residence,
but the Sheikh w