49 – ʿAbd al-Raḥīm ibn Yaḥyā narrated to us; ʿUthmān ibn ʿUmārah narrated to us; he said:

“Three men clad in coarse wool and hair once passed by. One of them said to his companion, ‘A person may reach such a limit of contentment with Allah that he walks past a refuse-heap, picks up a rotted bone, sucks on it, and Allah turns it into provision for us.’

Another man objected, ‘Why would he not simply ask Allah, so that Allah might grant him sustenance by some other means?’

He looked at him and said, ‘Silence! Allah’s allies are too well-pleased with Allah to ask Him for anything. He moves them from one state to another until He Himself is the One who carries them along.’”