face
turned toward Mecca. As the morning drew near, a little light came into my
mind, but I could not distinguish form or colour. After the morning
prayers, I was taken to the Sheikh who bade me inform him of my mental
state. I replied that I had seen a light with my inward eye. On hearing
this, the Sheikh became animated and said: 'Thy heart is dark, but the time
is come when I will show myself clearly to thee.' He then ordered me to sit
down in front of him, and to impress his features on my mind. Then having
blindfolded me, he ordered me to concentrate all my thoughts upon him. I
did so, and in an instant by the spiritual help of the Sheikh my heart
opened. He asked me what I saw. I said that I saw another Tawakkul Beg and
another Moolla Shah. The bandage was then removed, and I saw the Sheikh in
front of me. Again they covered my face, and again I saw him with my inward
eye. Astonished, I cried; 'O master! whether I look with my bodily eye, or
with my spiritual {98} sight, it is always you I see.' I then saw a
dazzling figure approach me. The Sheikh told me to say to the apparition,
'What is your name?' In my spirit I put the question, and the figure
answered to my heart: 'I am 'Abd-ul-Qadir Jilani, I have already aided
thee, thy heart is opened.' Much affected, I vowed that in honour of the
saint, I would repeat the whole Quran every Friday night.

Moolla Shah then said: 'The spiritual world has been shown to thee in all
its beauty.' I then rendered perfect obedience to the Sheikh. The following
day I saw the Prophet, the chief Companions, and legions of saints and
angels. After three months, I entered the cheerless region in which the
figures appeared no more. During the whole of this time, the Sheikh
continued to explain to me the mystery of the doctrine of the Unity and of
the knowledge of God; but as yet he did not show me the absolute reality.
It was not until a year had passed that I arrived at the true conception of
unity. Then in words such as these I told the Sheikh of my inspiration. 'I
look upon the body as only dust and water, I regard neither my heart nor my
soul, alas! that in separation from Thee (God) so much of my life has
passed. Thou wert I and I knew it not.' The Sheikh was delighted, and said
that the truth of the union with God was now clearly revealed to me. Then
addressing those who were present, he said: 'Tawakkul Beg learnt from me
the doctrine of the Unity, his inward eye has been opened, t