in your church, learn from you, and pray alongside you.”

He replied, “Then enter.”

So I went in and stayed with him. Yet he turned out to be a wicked man: he would order the people to give charity and urge them to do so, but whenever they brought him anything he hoarded it for himself and gave nothing to the poor. He kept at this until he had amassed seven large jars filled with gold and silver. Because of what I saw him doing, I came to detest him intensely.

When he died, the Christians gathered to bury him. I said to them, “This man was evil. He used to command you to give charity and encourage you to do so, but when you brought it he stored it away for himself and gave nothing to the needy.”

I showed them where his treasure was—seven brimming jars. When they saw it they said, “By Allah, we will never bury him!” So they crucified him, pelted him with stones, and then appointed another man in his place.

I have never seen anyone—though he did not perform the five prescribed prayers—whom I considered better than him: more detached from the world, more eager for the Hereafter, or more constant in worship night and day. I do not recall ever loving anyone before him as I loved him. I remained with him until death approached.

I said, “So-and-so, what you see of Allah’s decree has overtaken you, and, by Allah, I have never loved anything as I love you. What do you command me, and to whom do you commend me?”

He said, “My son, by Allah, I know of no one except a man in Mosul. Go to him; you will find him upon the same way I am.”

After he died and was laid to rest, I made my way to Mosul. I came to that man and found him to be just like his predecessor in devotion and renunciation.

I told him, “So-and-so commended me to you, telling me to come and stay with you.”

He said, “Stay, my son.”

So I stayed with him, following the same course as his companion, until death drew near to him.

I then said, “So-and-so commended me to you, and now you see what has befallen you by Allah’s decree. To whom will you entrust me, and what do you advise me?”

He said, “By Allah, my son, I know of no one except a man in Nisibis.”

After we had buried him, I went to the other man and stayed with him, remaining in the same state as those before him until death came upon him.