Page 149 - The Book of Rumi

Giving Up a Kingdom

brahim, the ruler of Balkh, was wealthy and fair, admired by his people.
IOne night as he slept soundly in his palace, he was awakened by thumping
on the roof. He thought it might be his guards, chasing intruders who were
running havoc. Before he opened his eyes, he thought: “Who’d dare try to
enter my palace? Could it be a thief? But with all these soldiers and guards
stationed all over the grounds, who’d risk his life?”
He angrily got out of bed and walked over to the window, thinking: “I
hear the guards giving chase, but no human would be foolish enough to try
to steal anything from my palace! Surely they must be djinns,” he concluded.
“Who’s out there in the dark of the night?” he screamed out the window,
as loudly and ferociously as he could.
“It’s us,” a group of men yelled back in unison.
“What are you looking for?” inquired Ibrahim, confounded.
“We’re chasing camels!” they said matter-of-factly.
“What idiots! Why would anyone chase camels on a rooftop?”
“For the same reason that you’re chasing God while lying in bed!” they
rationalized. “Is what we’re doing so much more incredible than what you’re
doing?”
When Ibrahim heard those words, he gasped in awe, reached for the fi rst
outfi t of clothing he could lay his hands on, and left his palace for good. No
one ever saw him in the province of Khorasan ever again. His name, as a great
Sufi , became renowned throughout Persia, and his story was told and retold
for years to come, inspiring visions of the mysteries of the spirit world.

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