anything.” She replied by exclaiming, “O poor man! Perform wudu with this ewer, go into this room and offer 2 units of Salah. You will leave from here with something.” He performed wudu as per her instructions.

When he stood for Salah, then she supplicated in the following manner: “O Allah Almighty! This man came to my house but could not find anything. Now, I have made him stand in Your court. Do not deprive him of Your grace and mercy.” When he completed his Salah, he tasted the sweetness of worship causing him to remain engaged in it until the final part of the night. When the time of suhoor arrived, Sayyidatuna Rabi’ah Basriyyah رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْھا heard him scolding his carnal self (nafs) whilst prostrating, “When my Lord will ask, ‘Were you not ashamed of disobeying Me? You used to hide sins from My creation, but you are now present in My court with heaps of them?’ What shall I say if He inflicts His wrath upon me, and distances me from His mercy?”

Sayyidatuna Rabi’ah Basriyyah رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْھا asked, “O brother! How did your night go?” “It was good,” he replied, “I stood in the court of Allah Almighty with humility and He corrected my affairs, accepted my excuse,  forgave my sins and made me reach what I desired.”

Exhibiting signs of bewilderment and worry, the person then left. Sayyidatuna Rabi’ah Basriyyah رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْھا raised her hands towards the sky and humbly asked: “O Gracious Lord! This person stood in Your court once and You accepted him. I have been standing in Your court for a long time. Have You accepted me too?” She was then told the following spiritually, ‘O Rabi’ah! We accepted him because of you, and it was due solely to you that We blessed him with Our closeness.’ (Al-Rauz al-Faiq, pp. 159; summarised)

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                                                        صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

 O devotees of the Awliya! Look how beautiful Salah is. A person came with the intention of robbery, but is ordered to stand for Salah upon the instructions of a pious servant of Allah Almighty, Sayyidatuna Rabi’ah Basriyyah رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْھا. He was lost in the sweetness of Salah so much that he