Harun and the Desire to Meet Bahlool

One day, Harun al-Rashid met Bahlul and said, “I have long wished to see you.”

Bahlul replied, “I have no interest in meeting you.”

Harun asked him for advice and guidance. Bahlul responded, “What advice should I give you?” He then pointed toward the tall buildings and the graveyard and said, “These tall palaces belong to those who are now lying in the dark earth of this graveyard.”

He continued, “What will you feel, Harun, on the day when you stand before the truth and divine justice, and God scrutinizes your deeds? He will examine them with such precision that even the pit of a date, the thin skin that covers it, the tiny thread within it, and the black mark on the back of the pit will be accounted for. And on that day, you will be hungry, thirsty, and naked, standing among the crowd of the resurrection, ashamed and empty-handed.”

Harun was deeply moved by Bahlul’s words, and tears began to fall from his eyes.