In this section of Jami's Baharestan, the early Sufi master Abu Sa'id al-Kharraz recounts how, at the outset of his path, he practiced guarding the secret of his spiritual moment (hifz al-waqt). Walking through the desert, he heard something approach from behind, yet restrained his heart from any inclination (iltifat) toward it and kept his eyes from looking. Two great beasts climbed upon his shoulders, but he refused to glance at them, neither as they rose nor as they descended.

Key Themes

• Guarding the Moment (muraqaba / hifz al-waqt): Spiritual vigilance means withholding attention from every distraction, even a mortal threat, so the heart stays fixed on God.
• Unwavering Unity (yakrangi): The accompanying verses praise the pure Sufi who keeps a single-colored devotion in a two-colored world; the thread binding the seeker to the Beloved does not snap even when a lion bars one road and a leopard the other.
• Grace over Striving: Al-Kharraz's closing s...