تحفة النظار في غرايب الامصار وعجايب الاسفار 13.47.13

13.47.13

On the eighth day my thirst became severe. I had no water, and I came to a ruined village but found no pool in it. Their custom in those villages is to make pools in which rainwater collects, and they drink from it all year round. I followed a road which brought me to an unlined well, over which there was a rope made of some plant of the land, but there was no vessel on it to draw water with. So I tied a rag that I had on my head to the rope and sucked the water that clung to it, but it did not quench my thirst. Then I tied my boot on and drew water with it, but it did not quench my thirst, so I drew with it a second time, and the rope broke and the boot fell into the well. I tied on the other boot and drank until my thirst was quenched. Then I cut it and tied its upper part onto my foot with the well-rope and with some rags I found there. While I was tying them and thinking about my situation, a figure appeared before me. I looked at him, and it was a black-skinned man with a jug and a staff in his hand and a bag on his shoulder. He said to me, "Peace be upon you," and I said to him, "And upon you be peace and the mercy of God and His blessings." He said to me in Persian, "Jīkas?" which means "Who are you?" I said to him, "I am lost." He said to me, "So am I." Then he tied his jug to a rope he had with him and drew water. I wanted to drink, but he said to me, "Wait!" Then he opened his bag and took out of it a handful of roasted black chickpeas with a little rice, and I ate some of it and drank. He performed the ablution and prayed two rakʿas, and I performed the ablution and prayed. He asked me my name and I said, "Muḥammad," and I asked him his name and he said to me, "al-Qalb al-Fāriḥ (the Joyful Heart)," and I took this as a good omen and was glad of it. Then he said to me, "In the name of God! Will you come along with me?" I said,