me without manifesting it to me, and he felt a complete intimacy with me. We traveled from the land of Kufa with the Pilgrimage caravan; we performed the Pilgrimage and completed our rites. One day, we went out seeking the Sacred Precinct and met a man on one of the paths, a merchant known for selling jewels. My master requested a jewel of the most precious kind. The man brought out a pouch he had with him containing jewels and showed them to him, but nothing among them pleased him.

While he was engaged with him, a youth stood by us wearing tattered rags, in a destitute state. He stood for a long time. My master said to him: "O youth, do you have a need?" The youth said: "Yes." He said: "And what is it?" He said: "I want you to show me the most precious jewels you have." My master said to him: "I have in my house jewels more precious than what you have seen. If you choose for me to show you what is more precious than what you saw, then come with me to my lodging to see what I have."

I sensed that my master wished to honor him. He took him and walked to his lodging, where he made him comfortable and honored him with due hospitality. Then he said to him: "O youth, examine what I have of jewels with the intent to buy." The youth said to him: "No." My master said: "Are you a broker?" He said: "No." He said: "Then in what state do you wish to examine them?" The youth said: "With the intent to measure a jewel that I once had and possessed, then it left my hand for a small, paltry price; I wish to know its value."

My master brought out a jewel that was the most precious he had. The youth said to him: "Do you have anything greater than this?" My master said to him: "No." He said: "What would be the value of this one?" My master said: "For one who needs it, one thousand dinars; and its price for one who wants it for trade is five hundred dinars." The youth said to him: "May Allah bless you in all of it," and he rose to depart. My master said: "I adjure you by oath that you must sit and tell me of your affair and reveal your secret to me, for I have become suspicious of you."