Imam-i Rabbani, the Regenerator of the Second Millennium, Ahmad Faruqi (May God be pleased with him), said: "In my opinion, the unfolding and clarification of a single of the truths of belief is pref­erable to thousands of illuminations and instances of wonder-working. Moreover, the aim and result of all the Sufi paths are the unfolding and clarification of those truths." Since a champion of Sufism like Imam-i Rabbani made such a pronouncement, surely the Words, which expound the truths of belief with perfect clarity and proceed from the mysteries of the Qur'an, may yield the results sought from sainthood.

Thirty years ago dreadful blows descended on the heedless head of the Old Said and he pondered over the saying "Death is a reality." He saw himself in a muddy swamp. He sought help, searched for a way, tried to find a saviour. The ways were many and he was hesitant. So he took an omen from the work Futuh al-Ghayb by Gawth al-A'zam, Shaikh Gilani (May God be pleased with him). It opened at these lines:

"You are in the Dar al-Hikma, so find a doctor who will heal your heart."

It was strange, but at that time I was a member of the Darii'l-Hikmeti'l-islamiye. I was as though a doctor trying to heal the wounds of the people of Islam, but was sicker than they. A sick person should look to himself first, then look to others.

The Shaikh was saying to me: "You yourself are sick; find a doctor for yourself." So I said: "You be my doctor!" I took him as my doctor and read the book as though it were addressing me. But it was most severe; it smashed my pride in a truly fear­some manner. It carried out drastic surgery on my soul. I could not stand it. I read half of it as though it were addressing me, but did not have the strength and endurance to finish it. I put it back on the shelf. Then a week later the pain of that curative operation subsided, and I felt pleasure instead. I again opened the book and read it right through; I benefited a lot from it, that book of my first master. I listened to his prayers and supplications, and profited abundantly.

Then I saw the Maktubat {Letters) of Imam-i Rabbani and took it up. I opened it purely to take an omen. It was strange, but in the whole of Maktubat, the word Bediuzzaman appears only twice, and those two letters fell open for me at once. I saw that written at the head of them was: "Letter to Mirza Bediuzzaman," and my father's name was Mirza. "Glory be to God!" I exclaimed, "these letters are addressing me." At that time the Old Said was also known as Bediuzzaman. Apart from Bediuzzaman Hamadani, I knew of no one in the last three hun­dred years famous with the name. Whereas in the Imam's time there was such a person and he wrote him these two letters. His condition must have been similar to mine, for I found that the letters were the cure for my ills. Only, the Imam persistently recom­mended in many of his letters what he wrote in these two, which was: "Make your qibla one." That is, take one person as your master and follow him; do not concern yourself with anyone else.