Original content

English translation

Hasan was the master of the world in Basra, He had a weak, fire-worshipping neighbor. For perhaps eighty years, his fire-worshipping, Had taken up a life of oppression and drunkenness. The name of that fire-worshipper in the gathering was Sham'un, He kept his head before the fire like a candle. When his illness went beyond bounds, Hasan's heartache increased in his heart. He said to his heart that he must go today, To visit the sick and inquire about him in that burning state. For even if a fire-worshipper is among the destitute, He is, after all, one of the neighbors. In short, Hasan went near Sham'un, Saw him lying in blood amidst the dirt. His face had turned black from the smoke of his fire, Neither the clothes on his body were clean, nor his hair. The Shaykh opened his tongue and said, 'O old man, Fear God at last! How long this negligence? You gave your whole life to the wind out of desire, You fell amidst fire and smoke. You have offended your own God, You have pawned your soul and body to hell. You think you saw profit from the fire, You don't know that you saw smoke from the fire. Do not do this, O sleeper, so that you find salvation, For even if you are a lion, you cannot overcome the Truth. Why do you illuminate your heart with a fire, That if it overtakes you, you burn instantly? In that fire, there is not a single particle of loyalty, Seeking a hair of loyalty from it is not permissible. If the fire had loyalty for a moment, It would have given you a breath, at least a respite. You who have been fire-worshipping for a lifetime, It will burn you in the end, and this is a strange affair. But I, who worship the Truth with heart and soul, Look at my hand in the fire this very moment. So that you become aware, O sinner, That there is no protector in the world except the Truth.' He said this and thrust his hand into the fire, And not a hair on it was harmed. When the decrepit fire-worshipper saw the Shaykh's hand, He was bewildered and astounded by the Shaykh's hand. The dawn of familiarity shone from the veil, Sham'un found illumination like a candle. He said to Hasan, 'O Shaykh, what state is this? For now it is seventy years, That I have made fire-worshipping my profession, Now I have much thought of the Truth. In this exposure, as my soul has reached my lips, A dawn has broken upon my dark heart. What remedy should I make? What do you know of my affair? For not much of my life remains.' The Shaykh opened his tongue and said, 'O old man, Become a Muslim, this is the solution for you.' Then Sham'un said, 'O doer of good, I have offended the Truth much by my speech. If you become my friend at this time, Give me a written guarantee and become my guarantor. That the Truth will forgive me without any torment, And give me the honor of His vision in Paradise. I will bring faith and come to the path, But I will come when you give the written guarantee.' Hasan wrote a document and did good, He became the guarantor of his desire. Again he said, 'O religious Shaykh, The just witnesses of Basra are needed all at once. To write their testimony upon this document, For I fear the divine wrath.' Hasan obeyed the command of that old fire-worshipper, He made the elders witnesses to that speech. He brought the document and then gave it to Sham'un, The well-wishing Sham'un became a Muslim. When he took the document, he said to Hasan, 'O old man, When the destined death snatches away my soul. When you have washed me pure, put me in the shroud, Put me in the ancient earth with your own hands.' He said this, and his pure soul departed, A world of people gathered at his dust. They placed that document in his hand then, That group sat until nightfall. Hasan did not sleep that night, he was deep in thought, All night he was in prayer and remembrance. He said to his heart, 'My cunning master, I unknowingly gave back a written guarantee. I acted boldly and that was out of ignorance, I don't know whether that was hard or easy. Since I fear that I myself will die drowning, How can I take the hand of a drowning man? Since I am deprived of the realm of water and clay, How could I record the realm of the Truth?' He was in this thought until dawn, Suddenly a messenger arrived from a dream. He saw that candle of faith in a dream so, That Sham'un was strolling gracefully in Paradise. A crown of the glory of kingship on his head, A robe of divine honor on his breast. A smiling lip, a face shining like the sun, The eternal abode of sovereignty granted to him. Hasan said to him, 'Hey, how are you in this abode?' He said thus, 'Why do you ask? Look at the affair. He made my abode the eternal paradise, By His grace He made His vision clear to me. Now you are free from your guarantee, Take this document, do not worry.' Hasan said, 'When I became conscious again, My document was in my hand and my eyes were awake. If you provide a remedy, provide a remedy like this, Make a guarantee of faith like this.'