SLANDER IN THE HEART
A man rose up where Junaid (Junaid al-Baghdadi) was preaching and began to beg.
“This man is perfectly healthy,” thought Junaid. “He can earn his living. Why does he beg, and impose on himself this humiliation?”
That night Junaid dreamed that a covered dish was set before him.
“Eat,” he was bidden.
When he lifted the lid, he saw the man who had begged lying dead on the dish.
“I do not eat the flesh of men,” he protested.
“Then why did you do so in mosque yesterday?” he was asked.
Junaid realize that he had been guilty of slander in his heart, and that he was being taken to task for an evil thought.
“I woke in terror,” Junaid recollected. “I purified myself and said two rak’ahs, then I went out to search for the beggar. I saw him on the bank of the Tigris, picking out of the water scraps of vegetables people had washed there and eating them. Raising his head, he saw me approaching and addressed me.
“Junaid,” he said, “have you repented of the thoughts concerning me?”
“I have,” I replied.
“Then go. It is He who accepts repentance from His servants. This time keep a watch over your thoughts.”
A man rose up where Junaid (Junaid al-Baghdadi) was preaching and began to beg.
“This man is perfectly healthy,” thought Junaid. “He can earn his living. Why does he beg, and impose on himself this humiliation?”
That night Junaid dreamed that a covered dish was set before him.
“Eat,” he was bidden.
When he lifted the lid, he saw the man who had begged lying dead on the dish.
“I do not eat the flesh of men,” he protested.
“Then why did you do so in mosque yesterday?” he was asked.
Junaid realize that he had been guilty of slander in his heart, and that he was being taken to task for an evil thought.
“I woke in terror,” Junaid recollected. “I purified myself and said two rak’ahs, then I went out to search for the beggar. I saw him on the bank of the Tigris, picking out of the water scraps of vegetables people had washed there and eating them. Raising his head, he saw me approaching and addressed me.
“Junaid,” he said, “have you repented of the thoughts concerning me?”
“I have,” I replied.
“Then go. It is He who accepts repentance from His servants. This time keep a watch over your thoughts.”
