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MAY, 1924)
MUHAMMADAN SAINTS AND SHRINES IN THE UNITED PROVINCES
99
such happenings as he had displayed in childhood had ever occurred since he left her. Smiling, the saint replied - Mother, in childhood there is more bodily agility. Although, by God's grace, my power to work miracles has increased a hundred-fold, yet it is not fitting at my age that it should be displayed publicly.' So she saluted the saint in silence.
2. Miracles in boyhood. One day as the saint sat writing, some dust from the roof of his home fell on his clothes thrice. When it fell a fourth time he looked up and saw a rat making a hole in the ceiling But as soon as the saint's glance fell on it, its head was wrenched from its body, and fell in one place, while its body fell in another. The saint wept, and when one sitting by him asked why, he replied that he was grieved lest any Muhammadan should ever be dealt with by him as the rat had been. On another day, a bird let its droppings fall on him while he was performing his ablutions before prayer, and when he looked up it fell dead. The saint wrought these miracles while yet a boy.
3. Piety requited. Once when the saint was on his way to Mecca, he bade his companions find the house of a poor, obscure, and pious man to stay in. The notables of the place besought him to bless their houses with his presence, but he chose the dwelling of an aged woman, and during the night so much money and goods came to her that no one there surpassed her in wealth.
4. Disrespect punished. One day Abu'l-Fazl, a servant of the saint, went to a clothseller's shop and asked for some cloth which was selling at one dindr a yard. The dealer asked for whom it was wanted ; and the servant replied that it was for his master. The dealer muttered that that faqir left nothing even for the King to wear. But no sooner had he said this than an iron peg from above fell and pierced his feet. The servant returned to his master, leaving the dealer in grievous pain. The saint on learning what had passed, sent for the dealer and told him not to make remarks about saints, as what they did was done by God's permission, and he who objects is punished. The dealer then threw himself at the saint's feet, and when he had placed his hand on the wound it was healed forth with.
5. A dead son restored to his father. Once a man had a dearly loved son, but he died, and in his grief the father wandered afar, until he came to the saint at Panipat. There he prayed the saint to let him see his son, even if it were only in a dream. But the saint promised to show him his son while he was awake; and next day an old woman passed the inn where he was staying with a boy who exactly resembled his dead son. The man caressed the lad and gave him sweets. Then both woman and child disappeared. Thrice this happened, but after that they were seen no more. The man went to the saint and begged that he might see his son every day. But the saint replied that that could not be, for God, not he, had both created and supported the child, and that He had entrusted it to the man as long as He pleased, but now that He no longer willed it so, he had no cause for repining. Then the man understood the saint's lesson, and being comforted returned home.
6. Use of a Hindu charm. One day a Hindu named Kalika Prasad went to the saint and complained that he had used every remedy for his disease, but had not been cured. The saint called his physician Maujů Khân, and he found that the man was at the point of death, But the saint bade the sufferer stand every morning in the open air, facing the sun, and repeat :Shiva ! Shiva ! Ganesha ! Kato kalesa ! Shiv ! O Ganesh ! Remove my affliction !! promising him recovery. And the man obeyed and was healed.
