to the West; how can I go
out of it?" "Very well, remain in it; but give up sin, and don't be
rebellious." Third: "When you are about to sin, place thyself where the
Most High cannot see you." "But one cannot hide anything from Him."
"Very well then," said Ibrahim, "is it right that you should live on
what He supplies, and that you should dwell in His Kingdom, and commit
evil actions under His eyes?" Fourth: "When Azrael, the Angel of Death,
comes to claim your soul, say to him, 'Give me a respite, I wish to
repent.'" "But how will Azrael listen to such a prayer?" "If it is so,"
replied Ibrahim, "repent now, so as not to have to do so when Azrael
comes." Fifth: "When you are placed in the tomb, dismiss the angels
Munkir and Nakir,[11] who will come to examine thee." "But I cannot."
"Very well, live such a life as to be able to reply satisfactorily to
them." Sixth: "On the Day of Judgment, when the order goes forth to
conduct sinners to hell, say you won't go." "It suffices, Ibrahim, you
have said enough." The man repented, and the fervour of his conversion
lasted till his death.

Ibrahim is said to have told the following story. "One day I went to
glean, but as soon as I put any ears of corn in the lappet of my robe
they were shaken out. This happened something like forty times. At last
I cried, 'What does this mean, O Lord?' I heard a Voice say in reply,
'O, Ibrahim, in the time of your prosperity forty bucklers of red gold
were carried in front of thee. It was necessary that you should be thus
molested as a requital for the luxury of those forty golden bucklers.'"

Once Ibrahim was entrusted with the charge of an orchard. The owner one
day came down to visit it, and told Ibrahim to bring him some sweet
pomegranates. Ibrahim went and gathered the largest he could find, but
they all proved to be bitter. "What!" said the owner, "you have eaten
these pomegranates so long, and cannot distinguish the sweet from the
bitter?" "Sir," replied Ibrahim, "you told me to take charge of the
orchard, but you did not tell me to eat the pomegranates." "Ah," replied
the other, "to judge by your austerity, you must be no other than
Ibrahim ben Adham." The latter, seeing that he was discovered, left the
orchard and departed.

A story told by Ibrahim was as follows. "One night I saw in a dream
Gabriel, with a piece of paper in his hand. 'What are you doing?' I
asked him. 'I am writing on this sheet of paper the names of the friends
of t