One day, a certain wanderer came to the mausoleum of Ahmad Ibrahim Yasawi in Turkestan and addressed the sheikh of the tomb with the following words:
“I learned that there may be people in the world who are called “qutb”, or “axis”. Faith rests on them, they are witnesses of God on earth. But they are hidden among ordinary people, and often no one knows them. They also say that there are always about three hundred of them on earth, and this number remains unchanged: when one leaves, another takes his place, having reached such a state through his righteousness. They live in different countries, and each professes their own faith. Could you open the way for me to such a qutb, and I give my word of honor that I will keep the secret.
He begged the sheikh for a long time, and finally he said:
- Go to the market in a neighboring village and find a man selling seeds there. Take a pinch from each bag and when you have a lot, throw them all back on the counter for him. And see what happens.
The man immediately went to the market and began to look out with curiosity for the seed seller. Finally found the one I was looking for. In front of him sat an ordinary middle-aged man, wearing simple clothes and without any outward signs of holiness. Then the curious man did as the sheikh told him: he collected the seeds, said that he had changed his mind about buying, and threw them back on the counter, so that they were all mixed up. The seller looked at him, smiled and began to slowly sort out the seeds, putting each seed into its own bag. What can I say? The wanderer just walked away, feeling embarrassed.
Fate decreed that he did not see either the sheikh of the tomb or the Qutb for more than forty years. And then one day he found himself in those parts. The sheikh, already a deep gray-haired old man, greeted him. They sat down under the mulberry tree and began to drink green tea, remembering the past; we also remembered the qutb. Then suddenly the sheikh perked up and said:
- Do you want to look at the qutb of the present time?
“Of course I want to,” answered the wanderer.
“Then go to the market and find a butcher, ask him to chop different pieces for you, and then throw them back on the counter.” And watch carefully what happens.
Everything was done exactly, but then the butcher, a huge fellow with bulging eyes, fell over the counter, holding an ax in his hand, and rushed at the old man. Passers-by barely managed to save him from imminent death. He returned to the tomb all torn to pieces and asked the sheikh what it was? And the sheikh replied:
- You saw the qutb of this time.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru