National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

clothed the destitute and homeless. One day he purposed starting on a journey to T.B.K.
replenish his funds and extend the sphere of his charities, but the Prophet came to
him in a vision, and bid him postpone his departure till such time as he should appoint,
when he would also indicate the direction he should take. Abú Nasr, greatly rejoiced
and highly honored by the Prophet's favour, abandoned his proposed journey, and for
six years devoted himself to the service of God and the performance of religious
exercises. At the end of this time the Prophet again appeared before him, and bid
him prepare for a journey to Turkistán, where was a chosen servant of God, one
Sátuk Bughra Khan, who would convert the people to Islám. Abú Nasr, again, for
six years devoted himself to the rigid worship of God, and was aided, comforted, and
supported by the pure spirit of the Prophet who, at the end of this time, once more
visited him in a trance, and giving him his blessing bid him rise, and depart for
Turkistan.
Abú Nasr took his son, Khwajah Abúl Fattáh, and set out on his way, and,
going from city to city, arrived at Andiján. Everywhere he asked for Sátuk Bughra
Khan, and at last a certain person informed him that a youth of that name resided at
Káshghar, and was notorious on account of his wisdom, for, though as yet but a mere
child, none of the elders and wise men could controvert his speech.
From Andijan Abú Nasr set out with a caravan of three hundred merchants, and
after some days arrived at Káshghar, where he found the object of his search, and,
after a short conversation, brought him into the fold of Islám.
Abú Nasr devoted ten years to the instruction and conversion of Sátuk, and in this
period made seven thousand of the people Musalmans, and taught seventy of them to
be priests. He lived eighty years, and followed the teachings of the "Commander of
the Faithful" Abúbakar Sadíc, and attained to the dignity of Uwais, which is a spiri-
tual quality inferior to that of Prophet, but superior to that of Saint. He also
towards the end of his life attained to the rare quality of Cutub, and became endowed
with all knowledge both visible and invisible, temporal and spiritual. The number of
this special rank is limited to forty at any one time throughout the world.
Shekh Najmuddin Attár was the first to discover that Abú Nasr had attained
this exalted dignity. The new Cutub now retired from the world, and spent six
months in seclusion as an ascetic. At length one day Cábiz-ul-arwáh = "the seizer of
souls," that is the angel Isráfil, appeared and bid him restore his soul to God. "Take
me," said Abú Nasr, "My wish is to go to God. I have no business with this
earthly frame." He drew his mantle over him, and, stretching his legs out straight,
faced towards Mecca. His servants, surprised at the unusual attitude, drew near, and,
finding him dead, broke into loud wails and sore laments. They informed his son,
Abúl Fattáh, and his adopted child, Sátuk Bughra Khan, and they all assembled, and
mourned over the corpse. A disciple asked of Sátuk, who was to wash the body.
He replied "the body itself knows." That disciple knelt by the corpse, and repeated
the question. And a voice from its chest said "let Najmuddin, with my sons, wash
me." They accordingly washed and laid out the body, and buried it at Mashhad in
Artosh 350 H. = 960 A.D. The funeral was attended by 10,700 common people,
and the prayers were recited by 5,000 dervishes and ascetics."
Such are the most noteworthy points in the history of Abú Nasr Sámáni, as
given in this eighth chapter of the book above mentioned. The following chapter
gives the history of Hazrat Sultan Satuk Bughra Khan Ghazí, and may be summa-
rized in this wise :—
"Hazrat Sultan Satuk Bughra Khan Ghazi was born in 333 H. = 944 A.D.
At the age of twelve years he accepted Islam, and was the first convert in Turkistan.
On the day of his birth, though it was midwinter, the earth quaked, and springs burst
forth and flowed on the surface of the ground; flowers bloomed and trees budded.
The wise men and elders were concerned at these signs of commotion in nature, and
predicted the destruction of their religion by the new-born Prince, and the establish-
ment of Islam in place of their ancient native institutions. They consequently