The Sultan replied, "Since they will not come to find kings and ministers, I must
go to them." So one day the Sultan repaired to the house of Ahmed Arab. The
latter, immediately arising, remained standing a long time facing the Sultan.
Then regarding him fixedly he said to him: "O Sultan, I had heard tell of your
beauty, and I now see that they spoke the truth. Make not of that body the
embers of hell." Saying this he returned to his prayers. The Sultan Abdallah
Tlahir went away from the sheik's house weeping.
He then betook himself to the house of Mahomet Islam. At the news that the
Sultan was coming to see him, the sheik shut the door of his house, saying: "I
ought not to see him. I ought not to speak to him."
The Sultan departed in tears and said: "Friday, when the sheik goes to the
mosque I will go to him."
When Friday came he was on horseback, surrounded by soldiers, awaiting the
arrival of the sheik. As soon as he perceived him, he dismounted, approached
him on foot, and saluted him. The sheik asked: "Who are you? What do you
want of me?"
The Sultan answered: "It is I, Abdallah Tlahir. I have come to see the sheik."
The latter, turning away his face, said to the Sultan, "What connection is there
between you and me?"
The Sultan fell at the feet of the sheik, in tears, in the middle of the highway,
and, invoking God the most high, spoke as follows, "O Lord, forgive my faults,
on account of the many virtues of this faithful sheik." And he was forgiven and
became a good man.
The imam El-Chafei (may mercy be with him!), going from the city of Jerusalem
to the country of Egypt, halted in a town called Ramla. One of the inhabitants of
this town took him into his house and entertained him with many attentions. The
companions of the imam El-Chafei perceived that he felt a certain inquietude,
but none of them knew the reason for it. The more the master of the house
showered his attentions and civilities, the more disturbed the imam seemed to be.
Finally at the moment when the imam was mounting his horse to continue his
journey, the master of the house arrived and put a writing into his hands. On
reading this, the imam lost his worried air, and, giving orders to pay the man
thirty dinars, he went on his way rejoicing. One of his companions asked him: