"Indeed，" rejoined his friend， "thou forgettest God in forgetting thy neighbour！ If thou lovedst God， thou wouldst love thy neighbour. Knowst thou not that a neighbour has a claim upon his neighbour， even as the right of kindred？" Quoth Hudheifeh， "We entered Mecca with Ibrahim ben Adhem，[FN#88] and whilst making the prescribed circuits about the Kaabeh， we met with Shekic the Balkhi. Quoth Ibrahim to Shekic， "What is your fashion in your country？" "When we are vouchsafed [food]，" replied he， "we eat，and when we suffer hunger， we take patience." "This is the fashion of the dogs of Balkh，" rejoined Ibrahim. "But we， when we are blest with plenty， we do honour to God， and when we suffer famine， we praise Him." And Shekic seated himself before Ibrahim and said to him， "Thou art my master."" Quoth Mohammed ben Amran，"A man once asked of Hatim el Asemm[FN#89]， "What maketh thee to trust in God？" "Two things，" replied he， "I know that what God has appointed for my daily bread shall be eaten by none but myself； so my heart is at rest as to that； and I know that I was not created without God"s knowledge and am abashed before Him.""
Then the fifth damsel retired and the old woman came forward and kissing the earth before thy father nine times， spoke as follows：
"Thou hast heard， O King， what these all have said on the subject of piety； and I will follow their example in relating what I have heard of the famous men of times past. It is said that the Imam es Shafi[FN#90] divided the night into three portions， the first for study， the second for sleep and the third for prayer. The Imam Abou Henifeh[FN#91] was wont also to pass half the night in prayer. One day a man pointed him out to another， as he passed，and said， "Yonder man watches the whole night." Quoth Abou Henifeh， "When I heard this， I was abashed before God， to hear myself praised for what was not in me； so， after this， I used to watch the whole night." Er Rebya relates that Es Shafi used to recite the whole Koran seventy times over during the month of Ramazan， and that in prayer. Quoth Es Shafi （may God accept of him！）， "For ten years I never ate my fill of barley-bread， for satiety hardens the heart and deadens the wit and induces sleep and enfeebles one from standing up （to pray）." It is reported of Abdallah ben Mohammed es Sekra that he said， "I was once talking with Omar， and he said to me， "Never saw I a more God-fearing or eloquent man than Mohammed ben Idris es Shafi. I went out one day with El Harith ben Lebib es Suffar， who was a disciple of El Muzeni[FN#92] and had a fine voice， and he read the saying or the Most High， "On that day， they shall not speak nor shall it be permitted to them to excuse themselves."[FN#93] I saw Es Shafi"s colour change； his skin shuddered， and he was violently moved and fell down senseless. When he revived， he said， "I seek refuge with God from the stead of the liars and the fate of the negligent！ O my God， the hearts of the wise abase themselves before Thee. O my God， of Thy goodness， accord to me the remission of my sins， adorn me with Thy protection and pardon me my shortcomings， by the magnanimity of Thine essence！" Then I rose and went away." Quoth one of the pious， "When I entered Baghdad， Es Shafi was there. I sat down on the river-bank， to make the ablution before prayer； and as I was thus occupied，there came up one who said to me， "O youth， make thine ablution well and God will make it well for thee in this world and the world to come." I turned and saw a man， with a company of people after him. So I hastened to finish my ablutions and followed him.
Presently， he turned and said to me， "Dost thou want aught？"
"Yes，" answered I； "I desire that thou teach me somewhat of that which God the Most High hath taught thee." "Know， then，" said he，"that he who believes in God the Most High shall be saved and he who is jealous of his faith shall be delivered from destruction，and he who practices abstinence in this world， his eyes shall be solaced on the morrow （of death）. Shall I tell thee any more？"
"Assuredly，" replied I. "Abstain from the things of this world，"
continued he， "and be greedy of the good of the world to come. Be sincere and faithful in all thy dealings， and thou shalt be saved with the elect." Then he went on and I asked about him and was told that he was the Imam es Shafi. Es Shafi was wont to say， "I would have the folk profit by this wisdom （of mine）， on condition that none of it be attributed to me." Also， "I never disputed with any one， but I would that God the Most High should give him the knowledge of the Truth and aid him to expound it； nor did I ever dispute with any， but for the showing forth of the Truth，and I recked not whether God should manifest it by my lips or his." He said also （may God accept of him！）， "If thou fear to grow conceited of thy learning， bethink thee Whose grace thou seekest and what good it is thou yearnest after and what punishment thou dreadest." It was told to Abou Henifeh that the Commander of the Faithful Abou Jaafer el Mensour had named him Cadi and ordered him a present of ten thousand dirhems； but he would not accept of this； and when the day came on which the money was to be paid， he prayed the morning-prayer， then covered his head with his cloak and spoke not. When the Khalif"s messenger came with the money， he went in to the Imam and accosted him， but he would not speak to him. Quoth the messenger，"This money is lawfully thine." "I know that it is lawfully mine，" replied the Imam； "but I abhor that the love of tyrants should take hold upon my heart." "Canst thou not go in to them and guard thyself from loving them？" asked the other. "Can I look to enter the sea， without wetting my clothes？" answered Abou Henifeh. Another of Es Shafi"s sayings is as follows：
O soul， if thou be fain to do as I shall say， Thou shalt be free from need and great of grace for aye.
Put far away from thee ambitions and desires， For lo， how oft a wish to death hath led the way！
