Timeless Wisdom

A short story about Ibrahim ibn Adham from the book Tadhkirat al-Auliya' (Memorial of the Awliyya) by the eminent 12th century scholar and mystic Sheikh Farid ad-Din Attar.

Once Ebrahim passed by a drunkard. His mouth was foul, so he fetched water and washed the drunkard's mouth.

"Do you leave foul the mouth that has mouthed the name of God? That is irreverence!" Ebrahim said to himself.

"The ascetic of Khorasan washed your mouth," they told the man when he woke.

"I too now repent," the man declared.

After that Ebrahim heard in a dream, "Thou didst wash a mouth for My sake. I have washed thy heart."