Advice for the Muslim

Muhammad Sâlih was yet in his swaddling-clothes, his wife
became ill and was not able to suckle the child any more.
Distressed, he took the baby to the Hujrat as-Sa’âda and put it at
the foot of the curtain. ‘Allâhumma innî as’aluka wa atawajjuhu
ilaika Nabiyyinâ wa sayyidinâ Muhammadin (sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ
’alaihi wa sallam) Nabiyyirrahma, yâ sayyidinâ yâ Muhammad!
Innî atawajjahu ilâ Rabbika arsil murdi’ata li-hâdhal ma’sûm,’ he
prayed. Early the following morning an officer named Sharîf
came and said, ‘Sir, my three-month old daughter died. We
cannot stop its mother’s milk. I would like to know if anyone
needs a wet-nurse.’ He showed him the baby. ‘We will nurse it for
Allâhu ta’âlâ’s sake if you give it to us. We will bring it up well.
My wife will be very glad,’ the officer said and took the baby with
him.
“Again ’Ishqî Effendi went on, ‘I had a hard time and was
short of money in 1257. I thought of going to Istanbul. I sat in a
corner at the Rawdat al-Mutahhara on the Raghâ’ib night (the
night before the first Friday in the month of Rajab). I attached my
heart to the Hujrat as-Sa’âda to ask Rasûlullâh (sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ
’alaihi wa sallam) for permission. I fell asleep. In my dream, I
heard three times a voice say, “Go to Istanbul and be the guest of
Mustafâ Pasha!” I woke up and returned home. I bade farewell to
my wife and children and set out. I walked all the way to
Alexandria where I had no money to pay for ship fare. I was very
depressed. I remembered the hadîth ash-sharîf, “Ask those who
are in graves for help when you are confused or in trouble!” I
visited the tomb of Imâm Muhammad al-Busîrî (rahimah-Allâhu
ta’âlâ), writer of Qasîdat al-bûrda (d. in 695/1295). I asked for
Allâhu ta’âlâ’s help, making the blessed soul of this person, who
was one of Allâhu ta’âlâ’s beloved servants, my mediator. When
I went out, I met a man named Ahmed Beg from Serez who said
he had been looking for me. He said, “My master Ottoman
statesman Sa’îd Muhibb Effendi (rahimah-Allâhu ta’âlâ), having
heard that you are here, wishes to have the honour of seeing you,
so he will be very pleased if you will be so kind as to come.” We
went to the mansion where Muhibb Effendi welcomed me with
grace and respect. “We may go to Istanbul together by ship if you
would like,” he said. The next day, three purses of money came
from Muhammad ’Alî Pashâ (rahimah-Allâhu ta’âlâ), the
Governor of Egypt. We went to Istanbul by ship. We were kept
in quarantine on board for twenty-one days. As soon as I got off
the ship on Friday, I went directly to Ayyûb Sultan, where I
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