Abu Hamid Ahmad ibn Khazruya al-Balkhi, a prominent citizen of Balkh married to the pious daughter of the governor of that city, associated with Hatem al-Asamm and Baayazeed al-Bistaami. He visited Nishapur, and died in 240 (864) at the age of 95.

Ahmad-e Khazruya and his wife

Ahmad-e Khazruya had a thousand disciples, every one of whom walked on the water and flew in the air. Ahmad dressed himself in soldier’s uniform. Fatema, his wife, was a portent in the Sufi way. She was a daughter of the Prince of Balkh. Having repented, she sent a messenger to Ahmad.

“Ask my hand from my father.”

Ahmad did not respond. So she sent a second envoy.

“Ahmad, I thought you were manlier than this. Be a guide, not a highwayman!”

Ahmad then sent an emissary to ask her father for her hand. Her father, seeking God’s blessing thereby, gave her to Ahmad. Fatema bade farewell to worldly concerns and found repose dwelling in solitude with Ahmad.

So matters continued, until one day Ahmad resolved to visit Baayazeed. Fatema accompanied him, and when they entered Baayazeed’s presence she lifted her veil from her face and engaged Baayazeed in conversation. Ahmad was dismayed by this, jealousy overmastering his heart.

“Fatema, what boldness was this you showed with Baayazeed?” he cried.

“You are intimate with my natural self. Baayazeed is intimate with my spiritual way. You rouse my passion, but he brings me to God,” Fatema replied. “The proof of this is that he can dispense with my company, whereas you need me.”

Baayazeed was bold with Fatema, until one day his eyes fell upon her hands and he noticed that they were stained with henna.

“Fatema, why have you put on henna?” he asked.

“Baayazeed, until now you have never looked at my hands and noticed the henna,” Fatema replied. “Hitherto I have been at ease with you. Now that your eyes have fallen on my hands, it is unlawful for me to keep your company.”

“I have petitioned God,” said Baayazeed, “to make women in my eyes no more noticeable than a wall, and so He has made them in my sight.”

After that Ahmad and Fatema proceeded to Nishapur, where they were warmly received. When Yahya-e Mo’adh-e Razi passed through Nishapur on his way to Balkh, Ahmad wished to arrange a party for him. He consulted Fatema.

“What do we need for a party for Yahya?” he asked her.

“So many oxen and sheep,” she told him. “Accessories too—so many candles and so much attar of roses. Besides all this, we need several asses.”

“Why, what is the reason for killing asses?” asked Ahmad.

“When a nobleman comes to dine,” explained Fatema, “the dogs of the quarter must get a share of the feast.”

Such was the spirit of true chivalry that imbued Fatema that Baayazeed declared, “If any man desires to see a true man hidden in women’s clothes, let him look at Fatema.”

Ahmad-e Khazruya wrestles with his soul

Ahmad-e Khazruya related the following.

For a long time I had repressed my carnal soul. Then one day a party set out for the wars, and a great desire to accompany them arose within me. My soul reminded me of a number of Traditions concerning the rewards in Heaven for fighting in the cause of God. I was amazed.

“My soul is not always so eager to obey,” I said. “Perhaps this is because I always keep my soul fasting. My soul cannot endure hunger any longer, and wishes to break its fast.” So I said, “I do not break the fast on a journey.”

“I quite agree,” replied my soul.

“Perhaps my soul says that because I command it to pray by night. It wishes to go on this journey so as to sleep at night and find rest.” So I said, “I will keep you awake till dawn.”

“I quite agree,” said my soul.

I was still more amazed. Then I reflected that perhaps my soul said that because it wanted to mix with people, being weary of solitude and hoping to find solace in company. So I said, “Wherever I carry you, I will put you down in a place apart and will not sit with other men.”

“I quite agree,” my soul repeated.

Reduced to impotence, I had resort to humble petition to God, praying that He might disclose to me the cunning machinations of my soul, or make my soul confess. Then my soul spoke.

“Every day you slay me a hundred times by opposing my desires, and other men are not aware. There at least in the wars I shall be killed once and for all and get deliverance, and the report will be noised through all the world, ‘Bravo, Ahmad-e Khazruya! They killed him, and he achieved the martyr’s crown.’”

“Glory be to Him,” I cried, “who created a soul to be a hypocrite while alive, and a hypocrite still after death. It will never be a true Muslim, either in this world or the next. I thought that you were seeking to obey God. I did not realize that you were tying the girdle.”

Thereafter I redoubled my struggle against my soul.

Anecdotes of Ahmad-e Khazruya

A thief broke into Ahmad-e Khazruya’s house. He searched everywhere but could not find anything. He was about to leave disappointed when Ahmad called out to him.

“Young fellow, take the bucket and draw water from the well and purify yourself, then attend to your prayers. When something comes I will give it to you, so that you shall not leave my house empty-handed.”

The youth did as Ahmad bade him. When daylight returned, a gentleman brought a hundred dinars and gave them to the shaikh.

“Take this as a reward for your night of prayer,” he said to the thief.

The thief suddenly trembled all over. He burst into tears.

“I had mistaken the road,” he cried. “I worked for God just one night, and He has favoured me so.”

Repenting, he returned to God. He refused to take the gold, and became one of Ahmad’s disciples.

On one occasion Ahmad came to a Sufi hospice wearing ragged clothes. In Sufi fashion he devoted himself wholly to spiritual tasks. The brethren of that hospice inwardly doubted his sincerity.

“He does not belong to this hospice,” they whispered to their shaikh.

Then one day Ahmad went to the well and his bucket fell in. The other Sufis upbraided him. Ahmad came to the Superior.

“Recite the Fateba, that the bucket may come up from the well,” he begged.

“What kind of demand is this?” said the astounded shaikh.

“If you will not recite it,” said Ahmad, “then give me permission to do so.”

The shaikh gave him leave, and Ahmad recited the Fateba. The bucket immediately rose to the surface. When the Superior saw this, he put his cap off his head.

“Young man, who are you, that my threshing-floor is but chaff in comparison with your grain?” he asked.

“Tell your companions,” answered Ahmad, “to look on travellers with less disrespect.”

Once a man came to Ahmad-e Khazruya and said, “I am sick and poor. Teach me a way whereby I may be delivered out of this trial.”

“Write the name of each trade there is on a piece of paper,” replied Ahmad. “Put the papers in a pouch, and bring them to me.”

The man wrote down all the trades and brought the papers to Ahmad. Ahmad thrust his hand in the pouch and drew out one paper. The name “thief” was written on it.

“You must become a thief,” he told the man.

The man was astounded. For all that he rose up and betook himself to a gang of highway robbers.

“I have a fancy for this job,” he told them. “How do I do it?”

“There is one rule governing this work,” they told him. “Whatever we order you to do, you must do it.”

“I will do exactly as you order,” he assured the thieves.

He was with them for a number of days. Then one day a caravan arrived. The thieves waylaid the caravan, and brought to their new colleague one of the travellers who was a man of great wealth.

“Cut his throat,” they told him.

The man hesitated.

“This prince of the thieves has killed so many people. It is better,” he said to himself, “that I should slay him rather than this merchant.”

“If you have come to do a job, you must do as we order,” said the head of the gang. “Otherwise, go and find other work.”

“If I must carry out orders,” said the man, “I will carry out God’s orders, not this thief’s.”

Drawing his sword, he let the merchant go and struck off the head of the prince of the thieves. Seeing this, the other bandits fled. The goods remained intact, and the merchant escaped with his life. He gave the man much gold and silver, so that he became independent.

Once a dervish was received by Ahmad in hospitality. Ahmad lit seventy candles.

“This is not pleasing to me,” said the dervish. “Making a fuss bears no relation to Sufism.”

“Go then,” said Ahmad, “and extinguish every candle I have not lit for the sake of God.”

All that night the dervish was pouring water and earth, but could not extinguish even one of the candles.

“Why so surprised?” Ahmad addressed the dervish next morning. “Come with me, and you will see things really to wonder at.”

They went off and came to the door of a church. When the Christian deacons saw Ahmad and his companions, the archdeacon invited them to enter. He laid a table and bade Ahmad to eat.

“Friends do not eat with foes,” Ahmad observed.

“Offer us Islam,” said the archdeacon.

So Ahmad offered them Islam, and seventy of his retinue accepted conversion. That night Ahmad had a dream in which God spoke to him.

“Ahmad, you lit seventy candles for Me. I have lit for you seventy hearts with the light of the Faith.”