Junayd al-Baghdadi and the Lesson of Forgiveness

This is the story of a notorious thief and the revered Sufi saint, Junayd al-Baghdadi (may Allah have mercy on him). The thief broke into the home of Junayd al-Baghdadi and treated the Sufi Sheikh with extreme harshness. However, the saint responded with profound kindness, and his gentle conduct ultimately transformed the thief into a man of gold. In this narrative, the esteemed author has presented this Islamic story of the thief’s transformation.

A Night in Baghdad

There was a famous thief in Baghdad. While few knew his real name, he was known everywhere as Ibn Sabat. For his crimes, he had lost a hand long ago as a punishment, yet he could not abandon his habit of thieving.

One particular night, Ibn Sabat wandered the alleys of Baghdad, searching for a house to rob. The hours passed, but he couldn’t find a suitable target, and his heart grew heavy with disappointment. Suddenly, however, his eyes fell upon a particular house, and his spirit danced with joy. He thought, “This must be the residence of a noble and wealthy leader. If I can successfully complete my work here tonight, I’ll make a great fortune. Then, my wife and children and I can live in luxury for a few days. We’ll surely feast on delicious, high-quality food.”

Consumed by these thoughts, he cautiously placed his hand on the large door of the house. A slight push revealed it was unlocked from the inside. He was delighted. Slipping quietly into the house, he saw a room with a mat made of date palm leaves spread on the floor. Beside it lay a leather pillow. In a corner, there was a huge pile of expensive fabrics. From this, he figured this must be the house of a great merchant.

Initially overjoyed at the sight of the valuable clothes, he soon grew worried. How would he carry them all? Where would he find a rope to tie them? A thought then struck him: “I can use the shawl I’m wearing!” He immediately took off his shawl, spread it on the mat, and began placing the rolls of fabric on it one by one, trying to tie them into a bundle. But he failed. Indeed, how could he tie a knot with only one hand? Desperate, he tried again, this time clamping the cloth with his teeth. But once more, he was unsuccessful.

Consequently, after several failed attempts, he began to pant from fear, anxiety, and exhaustion. He lamented to himself, “Alas! To find such valuable goods and not be able to take them simply because I can’t tie a bundle. Oh, if only I had another hand!”

An Unexpected Encounter

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps startled him. He tensed, ready to run. But before he could move, a man holding a lamp stood before him. The thief was terrified, but the man smiled gently and reassured him, “Friend, this kind of work is not meant to be done alone. In fact, it would be much easier if you let me help.”

Saying this, the man extinguished the lamp. He then turned to the thief and said, “Brother, you look exhausted. Please, rest for a moment while I see if I can find some food for you. It will help you regain your strength. Afterward, we can finish this task together. And listen, as far as I know, no one else is in this house, so you have no reason to be afraid.” With that, the man left.

Immediately, Ibn Sabat’s mind raced. “Could this man be the owner of the house? Is he playing some trick on me? Perhaps he went to call for help, or to find a weapon to attack me. I should get out of here right now.”

Just as he took a step to leave, the man returned with a cup of milk. He handed the cup to the thief and said, “Here, brother. Drink this milk. It will restore your energy.”

The man’s words somehow eased the thief’s fears. He took the cup and drank all the milk in one gulp. He then thought, “Perhaps he is a thief like me. He’s being so kind because I’ve already gathered the goods, and he wants a share.”

With this in mind, he said to the man, “It seems you and I walk the same path; we are both masters of the same trade. But let me be clear, I cannot fulfill any of your hopes tonight. If you are waiting for a share of this loot, you will be disappointed. However, if you work with me in the future, we can split whatever we get fifty-fifty. But don’t expect a share today, because I was here first, and the work is almost done.”

The man replied, “Very well. I will work with you next time. Tonight, whatever you think is best shall be. For now, we need to finish quickly, or we risk being caught.” With that, the man himself tied the fabrics into two bundles, one small and one large. He placed the smaller bundle on the thief’s head and lifted the larger one onto his own. Then, they silently slipped out of the house and set off together.

The Journey of Hardship

The stranger, however, was not accustomed to carrying heavy loads, and his bundle was significantly larger than the other. As a result, he was forced to walk slowly. This slow progress, of course, irritated Ibn Sabat immensely. He snapped at him several times, telling him to walk faster. The man tried to quicken his pace, but after a short distance, his speed slowed again. At this, Ibn Sabat, furious, began to curse at him and shoved him hard. “You greedy fool! You come to steal but can’t even carry the load? If you couldn’t carry it, why did you make such a big bundle?”

The man was so exhausted he couldn’t even reply. Nevertheless, he silently tried his best to walk a little faster.

After some distance, they came to a small bridge with steep sides. As the tired man tried to climb it, he lost his balance under the weight of the massive bundle. Consequently, the bundle fell from his head, and in trying to save it, he tumbled down on top of it. Enraged, Ibn Sabat kicked him violently. “You brute! Why did you make such a large bundle if you couldn’t handle it?”

The man replied humbly, “Brother, I am very tired. I couldn’t control myself.” He gasped for breath, and with great difficulty, he lifted the bundle back onto his head and started walking again.

The man’s body trembled with exhaustion, and he could barely walk straight. Yet, fearing Ibn Sabat’s verbal abuse and beatings, he gathered all his strength and pushed forward, gritting his teeth. Eventually, they left the city behind and reached a desolate jungle.

In the middle of the jungle, Ibn Sabat snarled, “Thamp! Stop! You don’t have to go any further. You’ve tormented me the entire way. It’s a good thing you’re much older than me, or you wouldn’t have been spared today. Now, go your own way. Go wherever you want. You have no more business here.”

The man was shivering. The winter night had been bearable while walking, but now, standing still, the intense cold made his teeth chatter. Hearing Ibn Sabat’s words, he stepped forward to bid farewell with a handshake and said with great humility, “Brother, I fell short in helping you, which caused you immense hardship. Please, find it in your heart to forgive me.” Saying this, the man turned to leave.

The Dawn of Realization

Now, Ibn Sabat was an incredibly greedy man and had no intention of giving the stranger a share. Yet, he was deeply moved by the man’s words. He thought, “What an astonishing thief! I have never seen such a good-natured thief in my life. He endured so much hardship, yet he is leaving without taking anything. Furthermore, he didn’t ask me for a thing.” As he pondered this, a glimmer of humanity awakened within Ibn Sabat.

Against his own nature, he called out to the man again. “Hey! Aren’t you going to take your share?”

The man replied, “Brother, you don’t need to give me any share. I have no need for it. You were my guest, and I only tried to serve you to the best of my ability. In truth, I couldn’t serve you well at all. I hope you will look upon me with forgiveness.”

Ibn Sabat stared at the man’s face, dumbfounded and at a loss for words. After a moment of thought, he asked, “Then… are you the owner of that house? Are you the Sheikh there?”

The man said, “Yes, brother. That is my humble abode. Now that you know, you are invited. I hope you will visit my home whenever you have the chance. I will try my best to serve you.” With these words and a final greeting of peace, the man departed.

Ibn Sabat stood frozen, gazing blankly in the direction the man had gone, feeling as if he had lost the ability to speak. He was lost in a sea of thought. Suddenly, he whispered to himself: “What a wondrous human being. Such kindness shown to a thief, followed by a gracious invitation for the future! What a strange example of humility and meekness! On the road, I insulted him, yelled at him, and pushed him. I even struck him with a fierce kick. Despite all that, he spoke to me with infinite politeness and incredible humility, asking for my forgiveness. This cannot be the behavior of an ordinary man. He must be an angel, or something else.”

He stood there in the same spot from the dead of night until morning. A strange remorse burned through him, reducing his insides to ashes. Time and again, his remorse surfaced in unconscious whispers: “Alas, what have I just witnessed? What words did I truly hear? And what a terrible thing have I done?”

As he stood there, an unbelievable change took place within him. He made no effort to hide the stolen goods. The fear of being caught had vanished completely. A revolutionary storm brewed in the depths of his soul, and a strange fire ignited in his heart, leaving him in a state of constant restlessness.

Ibn Sabat noticed this great transformation within himself. His head bowed in reverence for the man. He thought, “Oh, if only I could see that noble, kind-hearted man again with my own two eyes! If only I could ask him how and from where he learned such beautiful and excellent conduct! Oh, if only I could spend the rest of my life in his company!”

Without another thought, he left all the stolen goods where they were and started back towards the house. With a thousand questions and a heart full of curiosity, he walked forward. An indomitable urge to meet the man quickened his pace.

The Path to Repentance

Subsequently, after walking for some time, he neared the man’s house. He saw a woodcutter hiding behind a nearby hut and asked him, “Excuse me, brother! Who owns that house up ahead? Can you tell me his name?”

The woodcutter recognized the infamous thief Ibn Sabat. He thought to himself, “This is the house of our great spiritual Sheikh. Why is this thief asking about him? I hope he doesn’t intend to harm the Sheikh. May Allah protect him.”

Seeing the woodcutter’s silence, Ibn Sabat asked again, “Brother, if you don’t know, just say so. There’s no point in sitting there quietly.”

The woodcutter replied, “The owner of this house is a famous saint of Baghdad. Where have you come from that you don’t even know the name of such a great saint? And why do you need to know anyway?”

Ibn Sabat became angry, his face flushing with rage. He said in a harsh tone, “Hey! Why are you talking so much? Just answer my question quickly, or else…”

“Or else what? You think I’m afraid of you? Learn to speak politely.”

“Fine,” Ibn Sabat said, his tone softening. “I’m asking politely. Now please tell me, what is the name of the owner of that house?”

“The owner of this house is Hazrat Junayd al-Baghdadi. He is the renowned saint of Baghdad.”

Ibn Sabat had heard the name of Junayd al-Baghdadi (may Allah have mercy on him) many times. He knew he was a great saint, but he had never known where his house was, nor had he ever tried to find out. A thief’s job is to steal; what need did he have to seek out such holy men?

Upon hearing the name of Hazrat Junayd al-Baghdadi, however, Ibn Sabat’s head spun violently. He thought, “So, did I attempt to steal from the house of such a great friend of Allah? The one who carried that heavy bundle of clothes to the jungle, was he this great saint? The one I yelled at and kicked, was he that very friend of Allah?”

As these thoughts flooded his mind, tears streamed down his face. Composing himself, he quickly left the woodcutter and, without a moment’s delay, went straight into Hazrat Junayd al-Baghdadi’s house.

The Golden Transformation

He entered the same room from which he had tried to steal the clothes the previous night. There, he saw the man who had carried the bundle of clothes sitting peacefully. By asking the people around, he confirmed that this indeed was Hazrat Junayd al-Baghdadi (may Allah be pleased with him).

At that moment, the light of faith radiated from Hazrat Junayd’s face. A divine luminescence seemed to play across his features, and from his bright eyes, filled with the love of God, emanated the light of guidance. Out of reverence and awe, the people present kept a safe distance, speaking to him with utmost humility.

Upon entering the room, Ibn Sabat could not contain himself for long. At one point, he lost all control and fell at Hazrat Junayd al-Baghdadi’s feet, weeping uncontrollably.

The suddenness of the event left everyone present stunned. No one could understand why this was happening. They all stared blankly at Ibn Sabat’s face as tears flowed from his eyes.

Hazrat Junayd al-Baghdadi affectionately placed a hand on his head. Then, gently lifting his head, he said, “Brother, a person should only bow their head before the Almighty Allah. It is not permissible in Islamic law to bow before anyone other than Allah. In any case, tell me now, why have you come?”

Ibn Sabat tried to speak but broke down in tears again. Composing himself, he said in a voice choked with sobs, “Sheikh! I have committed a great wrong. I have done you a great injustice and have been extremely disrespectful. Please, I beg you, forgive me. Otherwise, the ruin of Ibn Sabat is certain.”

Hazrat Junayd al-Baghdadi replied, “My son, you did no wrong. In truth, I had some shortcomings in fulfilling my own duties, and you merely reminded me of them. For that reason, I took no offense. May Allah forgive us all.”

Indeed, by this time, a profound transformation had occurred in Ibn Sabat’s inner world. Through this incident, he found a new reality, and his heart and soul were filled with immense peace.

Finally, he requested to take bay’ah (oath of allegiance) at the hands of Hazrat Junayd al-Baghdadi, who accepted him as a disciple. After giving him some advice, he sent him on his way for the day.

From that day forward, Ibn Sabat spent his time in the company of his sheikh (spiritual guide). Through immense sacrifice, spiritual struggle, and self-discipline, within a few years, he became one of the most distinguished disciples of Hazrat Baghdadi. In the end, his name was inscribed in golden letters on the shining pages of history. His fame as a renowned saint spread throughout the world, and thousands of people took his guidance to begin walking the path of truth and beauty.

Ultimately, this is how the God-fearing saints and righteous people, through their sweet conduct and exemplary behavior, guide people to the right path. A person of clay, freed from misguidance, error, and the mire of sin, is thus transformed into a person of gold.

The main lesson of this story should be our pledge to treat everyone, friend or foe, with kindness.

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