He has put at your disposal all that is in the heavens and the earth, [as a gift] from Him…He said:When the heart of the servant finds tranquil repose (sukūn) in its Master, the state of the servantbecomes strong. Subsequently everything is subjected to him, and indeed everything is on intimate terms with him, even the birds and the beasts.It was related of al-Thawrī that he said, ‘I set off with Shaybān al-Rāʿī towards Mecca and on the way a lion appeared before us, so I said, “O Shaybān, do you not see this dog?” He replied, “Do not fear! It’s only that the lion heard the speech of Shaybān al-Rāʿī so he started to wag his tail.” Then Shaybān approached him and proceeded to take hold of his ear and twist it. Then I said, “O Shaybān what is this fame you have?” He answered, “And what sort of fame is it that you see, O Thawrī? I swear by God that if it wasn’t for the fear of fame I wouldn’t have carried my provisions for the journey to Mecca other than [loaded] on its back.” Shaybān was on his way to the Friday prayer when he caught sight of a wolf with his sheep, so he said to it, “Sit with the sheep until I return and I will give you a lamb.” When he returned from the Friday prayer, he found the wolf sitting down looking after the sheep, so he gave him a lamb to take away.’ Sahl used to say to a youth who kept his company, ‘If you are afraid of predatory beasts then do not keep my company.’ And he was asked, ‘How does a man reach the rank of charismatic gifts (karāmāt)? He replied:‘Whoever abstains from (zahada) the world for forty days in veracity and sincerity (ṣādiqan wa mukhliṣan), will have charismatic gifts (karāmāt) manifested to Him from God, Mighty and Majestic is He. But if [such gifts] are not manifested to a person, it is due to the lack of true faith and sincerity in his renunciation’ — or words to that effect.His words, Exalted is He:
