Page:A Moslem seeker after God - showing Islam at its best in the life and teaching of al-Ghazali, mystic and theologian of the eleventh century (IA moslemseekeraft00zwem).pdf/292



passed by a man asleep, wrapped up in his garment. So he wakened him and said: O them that sleep est! arise and make mention of God. He re plied: What do you want from me? I have for saken the world to its own/ Jesus replied: Sleep on then my beloved/ " (Vol. IV, p. 140.) " It is related concerning Jesus that he sat in the shade of a wall of a certain man, who saw him and made him get up, but he replied: * You have not made me arise but verily God made me arise. He does not wish me to delight in the shade by day/" (Vol. IV, p. 163.) The least of life’s pleasures is not for the ascetic saint.

" Said John to Jesus (on them be peace): Do not be angry/ Jesus replied: I am not able to cease from anger altogether for I am human/ Then said John: Do not desire property/ Jesus replied: That is possible/" (Vol. Ill, p. 114.)

He quotes the following prayer of Jesus (Vol. I, p. 222): "Jesus was accustomed to say to God, O God, I have arisen from my sleep, and am not able to ward off that which I hate and am not able to possess the benefit of that which I desire and the matter rests in hands other than mine. And I have pledged myself to my work and there is no man so poor as I am. O God, let not mine enemies rejoice over me and let not my friends deal ill with me, and let not my afflictions come to me in the matter of my religion. And do not allow the w