On his way from the Ḥijáz the people of Fayd requested him to discourse to them about this subject. He mounted the pulpit, but while he was speaking all his hearers departed. Sumnún turned to the lamps and said: “I am speaking to you.” Immediately all the lamps collapsed and broke into small bits. It is related that he said: “A thing can be explained only by what is more subtle than itself: there is nothing subtler than love: by what, then, shall love be explained?” The meaning of this is that love cannot be explained because explanation is an attribute of the explainer. Love is an attribute of the Beloved, therefore no explanation of its real nature is possible. Footnote 84: Abú `Abdalláh Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Ghálib b. Khálid al-Baṣrí al-Báhilí, generally known as Ghulám Khalíl, died in 275 A.H. He is described by Abu ´l-Maḥásin (_Nujúm_, ii, 79, 1 ff.) as a traditionist, ascetic, and saint. According to the _Tadhkirat al-Awliyá_ (ii, 48, 4 ff.), he represented to the Caliph that Junayd, Núrí, Shiblí, and other eminent Ṣúfís were freethinkers and heretics, and urged him to put them to death. 38. ABU ´L-FAWÁRIS SHÁH SHUJÁ` AL-KIRMÁNÍ. He was of royal descent. He associated with Abú Turáb Nakhshabí and many other Shaykhs. Something has been said of him in the notice of Abú `Uthmán al-Ḥírí. He composed a celebrated treatise on Ṣúfiism as well as a book entitled _Mir´át al-Ḥukamá_.[85] It is recorded that he said: “The eminent have eminence until they see it, and the saints have saintship until they see it,” i.e., whoever regards his eminence loses its reality, and whoever regards his saintship loses its reality. His biographers relate that for forty years he never slept; then he fell asleep and dreamed of God. “O Lord,” he cried, “I was seeking Thee in nightly vigils, but I have found Thee in sleep.” God answered: “O Sháh, you have found Me by means of those nightly vigils: if you had not sought Me there, you would not have found Me here.” Footnote 85: i.e. “The Mirror of the Sages”. 39. `AMR B. `UTHMÁN AL-MAKKÍ. He was one of the principal Ṣúfís, and is the author of celebrated works on the mystical sciences. He became a disciple of Junayd after he had seen Abú Sa`íd Kharráz and had associated with Nibájí.[86] He was the Imám of his age in theology. It is related that he said: “Ecstasy does not admit of explanation, because it is a secret between God and the true believers.” Let men seek to explain it as they will, their explanation is not that secret, inasmuch as all human power and effort is divorced from the Divine mysteries. It is said that when `Amr came to Iṣfahán a young man associated with him against the wish of his father. The young man fell into a sickness. One day the Shaykh with a number of friends came to visit him. He begged the Shaykh to bid the singer (_qawwál_) chant a few verses, whereupon `Amr desired the singer to chant—