shepherd. Sayyiduna Ibrāhīm bin Adham رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه gave his own lavish clothes to him, and wore the shepherd’s worn-out clothes instead.^[1]

Dear Islamic brothers! This is the exact moment in which the saint, Ibrāhīm bin Adham رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه said لَبَّیْک اَللّٰہُمَّ لَبَّیْک through his actions. He began engaging in the very thing mankind was created to do: worship Allah, perform good deeds and work for the Hereafter. Although he did not declare لَبَّیْک اَللّٰہُمَّ لَبَّیْک verbally, he lived his life by this statement. Let’s look at what happened as a result.

The fish and the golden needles

Shaykh Farīd al-Dīn ʿAṭṭar رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه said:

One day, Sayyiduna Ibrāhīm bin Adham رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه was sitting at the bank of the River Tigris, patching his torn clothes with a needle. A man who knew him from before passed by. This person knew Ibrāhīm bin Adham was the prince who left everything and set out on the path of Allah. Seeing the former prince now sewing patches into his clothes, the man approached and asked, “O Ibrāhīm! What have you gained by abandoning your kingdom? You used to wear expensive clothes, but now you are patching the only pair of clothes you have. You even had hundreds of servants. What have you gained by leaving all this?”  

Hearing this, Sayyiduna Ibrāhīm bin Adham رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه threw his needle into the river and said to the fish inside, “Bring my needle back to me.” At once, fish swam to the surface of the water with golden needles in their mouths. Sayyiduna Ibrāhīm bin Adham رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه then said, “Not these. I want my own needle returned.” A fish moved towards him with the needle in its