Who seeketh for pearl in the Deep dives deep; ✿ Who on high would hie robs his night of sleep.
Al-Rabí a relates that Al-Shafi'i used to recite the whole Koran seventy times during the month of Ramazán, and that in his daily prayers. Quoth Al-Shafi'i (Allah accept him!), During ten years I never ate my fill of barley-bread, for fullness hardeneth the heart and deadeneth the wit and induceth sleep and enfeebleth one from standing up to pray.[368] It is reported of Abdullah bin Mohammed al-Sakrá that he said, I was once talking with Omar and he observed to me, Never saw I a more God-fearing or eloquent man than Mohammed bin Idris al-Sháfi'í. It so happened I went out one day with Al-Háris bin Labíb al-Saffár, who was a disciple of Al-Muzani[369] and had a fine voice and he read the saying of the Almighty:—This shall be a day whereon they shall not speak to any purpose, nor shall they be permitted to excuse themselves.[370] I saw Al-Shafi'i's colour change; his skin shuddered with horripilation, he was violently moved and he fell down in a fainting fit. When he revived he said, I take refuge with Allah from the stead of the liars and the lot of the negligent! O Allah, before whom the hearts of the wise abase themselves, O Allah, of Thy beneficence accord to me the remission of my sins, adorn me with the curtain of Thy protection and pardon me my shortcomings, by the magnanimity of Thy Being! Then I rose and went away. Quoth one of the pious, When I entered Baghdad, Al-Shafi'i was there. So I sat down on the river-bank to make the ablution before prayer; and behold, there passed me one who said, O youth, make thy Wuzu-ablution well and Allah will make it well for thee in this world and in the next. I turned and lo! there was a man behind whom came a company of people. So I hastened to finish my ablution and followed him. Presently, he turned and asked me, Say, dost thou want aught? Yes, answered I; I desire that thou teach me somewhat of that which Allah Almighty hath taught thee. He said, Know then that whoso believeth in Allah shall be saved, and whoso jealously loveth his faith shall be delivered from destruction, and whoso practiseth abstinence in this world, his eyes shall be solaced on the morrow of death. Shall I tell thee any more? I replied, Assuredly; and he continued, Be thou of the world that is, heedless; and of the world to come, greediest. Be truthful in all thy dealings, and thou shalt be saved with the Salvationists. Then he went on and I asked about him and was told that he was the Imam Al-Shafi'i. Al-Shafi'i was wont to remark, I love to see folk profit by this learning of mine, on condition that nothing of it be attributed to me."——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.