Ali ibn Abi Maryam related from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn who said: Hakim ibn Ja‘far al-Sa‘di narrated to me; he mentioned Abu Yusuf ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Abi Nuh—one of the devoted worshippers—who said:
“I accompanied a shaykh on part of the road to Mecca. His appearance impressed me, so I said, ‘I would like to travel with you.’ He replied, ‘As you wish.’
He would walk during the day, and when night fell he stopped wherever he happened to be, in a settlement or elsewhere. He would then spend the entire night in prayer, and he fasted even in the fiercest heat. At dusk he would reach for a small pouch he carried, take something from it and place it in his mouth once, twice, or three times. Then he would invite me, saying, ‘Come, share some of this.’ But I would say to myself, ‘By Allah, this is not even enough for you—how can I share it with you?’
He kept to that routine, and an awe of him took root in my heart when I saw his diligence and endurance.
While we were lodging at one of the way-stations, he noticed a man leading a donkey and said to me, ‘Go and buy that donkey.’ By Allah, the reverence I felt for him prevented me from objecting, so I went to the donkey’s owner, thinking to myself, ‘By Allah, I have no money, nor do I know whether he has its price—how can I buy it?’
I approached the owner and bargained with him, but he refused to lower the price from thirty dinars. I returned and said, ‘He will not reduce it below thirty dinars.’ The shaykh said, ‘Take it and seek Allah’s guidance.’ I asked, ‘And the price?’ He replied, ‘Mention the name of Allah, then put your hand into the pouch, take the money and give it to him.’
So I took the pouch, said, ‘In the name of Allah,’ put my hand inside, and found a purse containing exactly thirty dinars—no more and no less. I handed it to the man, took the donkey, and came back. He then said to me—