1233 – ʿAbd Allah narrated to us; my father narrated to me; ʿAmr ibn ʿĀṣim al-Kulābī narrated to us. Al-Ṣabbāḥ ibn Abī ʿUbaydah al-ʿAnbarī said: A shaykh from among us told me:

“I accompanied ʿĀmir ibn ʿAbd Qays on a journey. When the people stopped for the night, he rose, arranged some of his belongings, and then entered a thicket. There he prayed, while I sat behind him. Toward the end of the night, at the pre-dawn hour, he supplicated:

‘O Allah, I asked You for three things: You granted me two and withheld one. O Allah, grant me the third as well, so that I may worship You as I love—or as I wish.’

When the first light of dawn appeared, he turned and saw me. He said, ‘So you have been here watching me since the night!’ Then he faced me and literally held his tongue. I said, ‘Leave that! By Allah, you will tell me what those three requests were, or I will certainly report what you have just done.’

He replied, ‘Then keep this matter secret for me.’ I pledged to him that I would