his son immediately died. The companions of
Ibrahim asked him, "What is the meaning of this?" "When I saw my son,"
he answered, "my paternal tenderness was aroused. But immediately I
heard a voice, 'What, Ibrahim! Dost thou pretend attachment to Us while
all the while thy heart is engaged with another person? How can two
loves co-exist in one heart?' On hearing this, I prayed to the Lord and
said, 'O my God, if my love to this child makes Thee withdraw from me,
take his soul or mine.' My prayer was heard, and He has taken the soul
of my son." On one occasion Ibrahim is reported to have said, "Many
nights in succession I sought to find the Kaaba unoccupied. One night
when it was raining very hard, I at last found it so. I entered it, and
lifting my heart to God, I said, 'O God, blot out my sins,' upon which I
heard a Voice, which said, 'O Ibrahim, all over the world men ask Us the
same thing; but if We blot out everyone's sins, whom shall We cause to
share in the ocean of Our mercy?'" On another occasion he was asked,
"Why hast thou given up thy rank and thy kingdom?" "One day," he said,
"When I was seated on my throne, I looked at a mirror. I saw reflected
in it my last resting-place, which was an obscure tomb, wherein I had no
one to keep me company. The road whereby to reach the other world was
long, nay infinite, and I had no provision for the way. I saw besides an
upright judge, who questioned me so rigorously that I could return him
no fit answer. Behold why my rank and my kingdom lost all value in my
eyes, and why I abandoned them." "But why," continued the questioner,
"didst thou flee Khorasan?" "Because," he said, "they kept on
questioning me." "And why dost thou not marry?" "Is there any woman who
would marry a man like myself, who am always hungry and naked? If I
could, I would divorce myself; how then can I attach anyone to myself?"

Once Ibrahim asked a dervish, "Have you a wife and children?" "No,"
answered the dervish. "It is all then well for thee." "Why so?" asked
the dervish. "Because," said Ibrahim, "everytime a dervish marries he is
like one who embarks on a vessel, but when children are born to him he
is like one who is drowning."

Seeing a dervish groaning, he said, "Doubtless thou hast bought this
position of dervish at a low price." "What, Ibrahim," answered the
other, "can the position of dervish be bought?" "Certainly," answered
Ibrahim; "I have bought it at the price of royalty, and I find I h