anyone else has seen. If you love to hear what you demanded of me, then open the ears of your heart and contemplate it with your understanding and intellect.

Know, O Abu al-Maymun, that after meeting my master Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Madani and hearing from him what he favored me with of his gnosis and endowed me with of his honor, I had intended to visit him every year on foot and perform Hajj. My path was through Kufa, and I used to visit those of my brothers who were there, and you—may Allah support you—were among those I visited. When I came to you in the year the Sultan arrested you, and you mentioned to me the loneliness you felt from your brothers, and you brought out your treasures and all your wealth and presented all of that to me, mentioning that you wanted to entrust your testament to me, and travel to meet me and gather with me and be among my company without your knowing me—I realized the religion and faithfulness in you and knew that you were of the people of purity. So, I wrote a letter to my master Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Madani informing him of your news, describing your case, what I witnessed of you, and what you mentioned to me. I asked him after that to forgive me and accept my excuse for staying behind from visiting him. I dispatched the letter to him and turned back, returning to my town, Talqan, fearing that you might come to me and not find me there. So, I preceded you to my town and remained monitoring your arrival until you came. When I saw you safe and was gathered with you, I thanked Allah greatly.'

The Virtuous City

'And I wrote to my master Abu 'Abd Allah ibn al-Hasan al-Madani a letter informing him of your arrival and our gathering, and I mentioned to him my joy at that. I dispatched the letter to him, and his reply came to me, mentioning that he had met with a man from the people of gnosis, the likes of whom he had never seen in virtue, science, religion, and understanding. He saw from that man what he had not seen from any