“As he yet spake, in walked Jelāl. We saluted; and he was begged to partake of the food. He took a little morsel, no larger than a filbert, giving me some also. I fell at his feet, and told him I was from Qonya on pilgrimage, and had missed the caravan by falling asleep. ‘Well,’ answered he, ‘as we are fellow-townsmen, be of good cheer.’ He then bade me close my eyes. I did so; and on opening them again I found myself in the midst of my companions of the caravan. I am now come here, on my return home in safety, to offer my thanks for that miraculous kindness, and to profess myself a disciple of the holy man.” 57. A man of great learning came once to visit Jelāl. By way of a test, he asked Jelāl two questions: “Is it correct to speak of God as ‘_a living soul_?’ since God hath said (Qur’ān iii. 182): ‘Every living soul shall taste death!’” and: “If one ought not to call God ‘a living soul,’ what did Jesus mean when he said (Qur’ān v. 116): ‛Thou knowest what is in my soul, but I know not what is in Thy soul’?” The second question was: “Can God properly be called ‘a thing’? If He can be so called, what is the signification of His word (Qur’ān xxviii. 88): ‘Every thing shall perish, save His cause’?” Jelāl immediately replied: “‘But I know not what is in Thy soul’ means _in Thy knowledge_, _in Thy absentness_, or, as we seers say, _in Thy secrecy_. Thus the passage would be paraphrased: _Thou knowest what is in my secrecy; but I know not what is in the secret of Thy secrecy_; or, as ‘_the people of heart_’ would put it: _Thou knowest what issues from me in the world; but I know not the secret of what issues from Thee in the world to come._ It is quite proper to speak of God as ‘a thing;’ for He hath said (Qur’ān vi. 19): ‘What thing is greatest in testimony? Say thou: “God;“’ _i.e._, God is the greatest thing in testimony; ‘God will be a witness between me and you in the day of the resurrection.’ The signification of the passage ‘Every thing shall perish’ is: _every created thing shall perish_; not the Creator, _i.e._, ‘save He.’ The thing excepted from the general category is ‘He.’ But God knows best.” The man of learning instantly professed himself a disciple, and composed a panegyric on Jelāl. 58. The legend goes that Jelāl made a practice of seeing the new moon of the Arabian new year, and always uttered the following prayer on seeing it:—“O our Lord God! Thou art the Past-eternal One, the Future-eternal One, the Ancient One! This is a new year. I beg of Thee therein steadfastness to withstand the lapidated Satan,[18] and assistance against the rebellious spirit (within me); also, occupation in what will approximate me to Thee, and an avoidance of what might elongate me from Thee. O God! O the All-merciful One, the All-compassionate One! Through Thy mercy, O Most-compassionate of the merciful ones! O thou Lord of majesty and of honour!” 59.