During the time of King Mahmud, the conqueror of Ghazna, there lived a young man named Haydar Ali Jan. His father Iskander Khan decided to gain the emperor's favor for him and sent him to study spiritual subjects under the guidance of the greatest sages of that time.
When Haydar Ali had achieved remarkable mastery in repetitions and exercises, when he knew all the texts by heart and learned to perform all the postures of the Sufi schools, he was brought by his father to the emperor.
“Mighty Mahmud,” said Iskander. “I specially taught this young man, my eldest and most intelligent son, the ways of the Sufis so that he could achieve a worthwhile position at your Majesty’s court, for I know that you are the head of all the great scientists of our era.
Mahmoud did not raise his head. He simply said:
- Bring your son in a year.
Slightly disappointed, but with great hopes, Iskander sent Ali to study the works of the great Sufis of the past and visit the tombs of ancient masters in Baghdad so that the waiting time would not be wasted.
Bringing the young man back to the court, he said:
- O luminary of the century! My son has made a difficult journey and at the same time he has added to his knowledge of the exercises a complete acquaintance with the classic works of the People of the Way. I ask you to examine him so that it becomes clear that he can be useful at your Majesty’s court.
“Let him,” Mahmud said immediately, “come back in another year.”
Over the next twelve months, Haydar Ali crossed the Oxus (Amu Darya) River, visited Bukhara and Samarkand, Qasr-i-Arifin and Tashkent, Dushanbe and the graves of Sufi saints in Turkestan. When he returned to the court, Mahmud of Ghazna looked at him once and said:
- He may come next year.
This year, Haydar Ali made a pilgrimage to Mecca. He visited India and Persia, became acquainted with rare books and never missed the opportunity to find and visit the great dervishes of that time. When he returned to Ghazna, Mahmud told him:
- Now choose a teacher, and if he takes you, come back in a year.
When that year had passed and Iskander Khan prepared to take his son to court, Haydar Ali showed no interest in this: he simply sat at the feet of his teacher in Herat and nothing that his father told him could move him from his place.
“I spent my time and money, and this young man failed the tests assigned to him by King Mahmud,” the father cried and abandoned the whole matter.
Meanwhile, the day when the young man was supposed to appear at court came and passed. And then Mahmud said to his courtiers:
— Get ready to visit Herat. There's someone there I want to see.
As the emperor's cavalcade entered Herat to the music of trumpeters, Haidar Ali's teacher took his hand. He led him to the gate of the tekkiya, and they began to wait.
Soon after this, Mahmud and his courtier Ayaz, taking off their shoes, appeared in the holy place.
“Here, Mahmud,” said the Sufi sheikh, “is the man who was nothing at the time he visited the kings, but who is now the one whom the kings visit.” Take him as your Sufi advisor, because he is ready.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru