whereupon a servant girl set a cushion for him. He sat on it, and I sat facing him, whereupon he praised Allah and extolled Him.

He then said, “What keeps you from saying: There is no god but Allah? Do you know of any deity besides Allah?” I answered, “No.” After speaking for a while he said, “All that holds you back is the phrase: Allah is Most Great (1). Do you know of anything greater than Allah?” I replied, “No.”

He said, “The Jews have incurred wrath, and the Christians have gone astray.” I said, “I am a ḥanīf, a Muslim.” I saw his face brighten with joy (2).

He then instructed that I be lodged with a man from the Ansar, and I used to visit him at the beginning and the end of each day. While I was with him one afternoon, a group arrived wearing coarse woolen cloaks of the kind called nimār.

He led them in prayer, rose, and exhorted them, saying: “Even with a full sāʿ, or half a sāʿ, a handful, or part of a handful—let each of you shield his face from the heat of Hell, from the Fire, even with a single date, even with half a date. For each of you will meet Allah, and He will ask him what I am now asking you: ‘Did I not grant you hearing and sight?’ He will answer, ‘Yes.’ He will ask, ‘Did I not bestow on you wealth and children?’ He will answer, ‘Yes.’ He will then say, ‘So where is what you sent on ahead for yourself?’ Then he will look before him…”