Strengthen me with the firm word in the worldly life and the Hereafter; indeed, You are Near and Responsive.”

Then he would return to his bed. I would say to him: "O my master, what were you saying, and for whom were you praying, and who is the Eternal Ancient¹?" He would say to me: "He is Allah, besides whom there is no god." I would remain silent and leave him until he slept. Then I would stand and pray as he prayed, recite as he recited, and supplicate as he supplicated. This was my practice with him.

One night, he stood and prayed as I mentioned to you, then returned to his bed. I stood and prayed according to the custom, supplicated, and returned to my bed. I heard him making a supplication while he was asleep. I said to him when he finished his supplication: "O my master, who is the Eternal Ancient?" He said: "He is ‘A’," saying it three times.

Then he woke from his sleep, startled. He opened his eyes toward me and said: "Are you asleep or awake?" I said to him: "Rather, awake." He said: "Did you hear from me what I said?" I said to him: "Yes, I heard that." He said: "What you heard from me is not verified." I said to him: "And why is that?" He said to me: "Because when a human sleeps, his intellect departs from him; so everything that proceeds from him is without discernment or intellect."

I said to him: "O my master, if a sleeper speaks in his sleep and speaks the Truth, what do you say regarding him?" He said: "I say he has been made to speak." I said to him: "It is sufficient for you that the Truth spoke upon your tongue." He said to me: "If the matter had not occurred in such a way, you would not have heard it from me until the Resurrection. Verify what you heard, be certain of it, do not doubt it, and do not waver. Allah shall strengthen you and grant you good assistance."

I thanked Allah for that, went to him, and kissed his hands and feet. After that, he brought out his books to me; he left no report hidden from