One day I came into his presence, when the weather was extremely hot, wearing a traveller’s dress and with my hair in disorder. He said to me: “Tell me what you wish at this moment.” I replied that I wished to hear some music (_samá`_). He immediately sent for a singer (_qawwál_) and a number of musicians. Being young and enthusiastic and filled with the ardour of a novice, I became deeply agitated as the strains of the music fell on my ear. After a while, when my transports subsided, he asked me how I liked it. I told him that I had enjoyed it very much. He answered: “A time will come when this music will be no more to you than the croaking of a raven. The influence of music only lasts so long as there is no contemplation, and as soon as contemplation is attained music has no power. Take care not to accustom yourself to this, lest it grow part of your nature and keep you back from higher things.” CHAPTER XIII. A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE MODERN ṢÚFÍS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. I have not space enough to give biographies of them all, and if I omit some the object of this book will not be accomplished. Now, therefore, I will mention only the names of individual Ṣúfís and leading spiritualists who have lived in my time or are still alive, excluding the formalists (_ahl-i rusúm_). 1. SYRIA AND `IRÁQ. Shaykh Zakí b. al-`Alá was an eminent Shaykh. I found him to be like a flash of love. He was endowed with wonderful signs and evidences. Shaykh Abú Ja`far Muḥammad b. al-Miṣbáḥ al-Ṣaydalání was one of the principal aspirants to Ṣúfiism. He discoursed eloquently on theosophy and had a great fondness for Ḥusayn b. Manṣúr (al-Ḥalláj), some of whose works I have read to him. Shaykh Abu ´l-Qásim Suddí[103] was a director who mortified himself and led an excellent spiritual life. He cared tenderly for dervishes and had a goodly belief in them. Footnote 103: IJ. Sudsí, B. Sundusí. 2. FÁRS. The Grand Shaykh, Abu ´l-Ḥasan b. Sáliba,[104] spoke with the utmost elegance on Ṣúfiism and with extreme lucidity on Unification (_tawḥíd_). His sayings are well known. The Shaykh and Director (_murshid_) Abú Isḥáq b. Shahriyár was one of the most venerable Ṣúfís and had complete authority. Shaykh Abu ´l-Ḥasan `Alí b. Bakrán was a great _mutaṣawwif_, and Shaykh Abú Muslim was highly esteemed in his time. Shaykh Abu ´l-Fatḥ b. Sáliba is an excellent and hopeful successor to his father. Shaykh Abú Ṭálib was a man enraptured by the words of the Truth. I have seen all these except the Grand Shaykh, Abú Isḥáq. Footnote 104: See _Nafaḥát_, No. 347, where he is called Abu ´l-Ḥusayn Sáliba. 3.QUHISTÁN, ÁDHARBÁYAJÁN, ṬABARISTÁN, AND KISH.[105] Shaykh Faraj,[106] known as Akhí Zanjání, was a man of excellent disposition and admirable doctrine. Shaykh Badr al-Dín is one of the great men of this sect, and his good deeds are many.