The Khalif Haroun er Reshid had a sonwhofrom the time he attained the age of sixteenrenounced the world and walked in the way of ascetics and devotees. He was wont to go out to the tombs and say'Beholdye that lie here once possessed the worldbut that was no deliverer for you [from death]and now are ye come to your graves！ Would God I knew what ye say and what is said to you！' And he weptas one weeps that is troubled and fearfuland repeated the words of the poet：
Whene'er the funerals passmy heart with fear is tornAnd the wailing of the mourners maketh me to mourn.
One dayas he sat among the tombsaccording to his wonthis father passed byin all his statesurrounded by his viziers and grandees and the officers of his householdwho saw the Khalif's sonwith a gown of woollen stuff on his body and a cowl of the same on his headand said to one another'This youth dishonours the Commander of the Faithful among Kings：
butif he reproved himhe would leave his present way of life.' The Khalif heard what they said；so he bespoke his son of thissaying'O my sonthou puttest me to shame by thy present way of life.' The young man looked at him and made no reply： then he beckoned to a birdthat was perched on the battlements of the palaceand said to it'O birdI conjure theeby Him who created theealight upon my hand.' And straightway it flew down and perched on his hand. Quoth he，'Return to thy place；' and it did so. Then he said'Alight on the hand of the Commander of the Faithful；' but it refusedand he said to his father'It is thou that puttest me to shame，amongst the friends of Godby thy love of the world；and now I am resolved to depart from theenever to return to theesave in the world to come.' Then he went down to Bassorawhere he fell to working with those that wrought in mudtaking，as his day's hirebut a dirhem and a danic. With the danic he fed himself and gave alms of the dirhem.