even the prophets? David sinned; so did Solomon son of David, and John son of Zechariah.’

The sannāṭ replied, ‘I see you know the prophets’ faults yet are ignorant of the repentance that followed them. David’s offence was nothing but a single glance; for that he fell in prostration to Allah for forty nights. Solomon was heedless of just one prayer—he delayed it, captivated by the pleasure he found in his horses—then he repented, sought forgiveness, and ordered that their necks and hamstrings be struck. As for John, he omitted only one voluntary night-prayer; he blamed that slip on having eaten too much, and from that day until Allah took his soul he never again filled his stomach with food. All of this sprang from awe of Allah, fear of His punishment, and hope for His reward.’

The abbot said, ‘I hope to repent.’

The sannāṭ answered, ‘Death may overtake a sinner before he has the chance to repent.’

Yet the abbot persisted in his sin until Allah decreed his destruction at the hands of a certain thief. That thief had companions scattered among the villages, and the chief of the band sent them to raid by night the village where the abbot’s woman lived. When they broke in, they found the monk lying under one blanket with her, so they brought him before their leader and said, ‘Had he not been a monk, we might have excused him; but we must enforce Allah’s prescribed penalty on a man who forbade women to himself and then lay with them.’