“One day Abu ’l-Hasan Khurqānī clenched his fist and extended the little finger and said, ‘Here is the _qibla_,[18] if any one desires to become a Sūfī.’ These words were reported to the Grand Sheykh, who, deeming the co-existence of two _qiblas_ an insult to the divine Unity, exclaimed, ‘Since a second _qibla_ has appeared, I will cancel the former one.’ After that, no pilgrims were able to reach Mecca. Some perished on the way, others fell into the hands of robbers, or were prevented by various causes from accomplishing their journey. Next year a certain dervish said to the Grand Sheykh, ‘What sense is there in keeping the folk away from the House of God?’ Thereupon the Grand Sheykh made a sign, and the road became open once more. The dervish asked, ‘Whose fault is it that all these people have perished?’ The Grand Sheykh replied, ‘When elephants jostle each other, who cares if a few wretched birds are crushed to death?’” [18] The _qibla_ is the point to which Moslems turn their faces when praying, _i.e._ the Kaʿba. “Some persons who were setting forth on a journey begged Khurqānī to teach them a prayer that would keep them safe from the perils of the road. He said, ‘If any misfortune should befall you, mention my name.’ This answer was not agreeable to them; they set off, however, and while travelling were attacked by brigands. One of the party mentioned the saint’s name and immediately became invisible, to the great astonishment of the brigands, who could not find either his camel or his bales of merchandise; the others lost all their clothes and goods. On returning home, they asked the Sheykh to explain the mystery. ‘We all invoked God,’ they said, ‘and without success; but the one man who invoked you vanished from before the eyes of the robbers.’ ‘You invoke God formally,’ said the Sheykh, ‘whereas I invoke Him really. Hence, if you invoke me and I then invoke God on your behalf, your prayers are granted; but it is useless for you to invoke God formally and by rote.’” “One night, while he was praying, he heard a voice cry, ‘Ha! Abu ’l-Hasan! Dost thou wish Me to tell the people what I know of thee, that they may stone thee to death?’ ‘O Lord God,’ he replied, ‘dost Thou wish me to tell the people what I know of Thy mercy and what I perceive of Thy grace, that none of them may ever again bow to Thee in prayer?’ The voice answered, ‘Keep thy secret, and I will keep Mine.’” “He said, ‘O God, do not send to me the Angel of Death, for I will not give up my soul to him. How should I restore it to him, from whom I did not receive it? I received my soul from Thee, and I will not give it up to any one but Thee.’”