Love Is The Pilgrimage

When Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi was going to Mecca on pilgrimage, he came across a poor dog that had been injured. All four of the dog's legs were severely cut and bleeding.

The holy man picked up the poor creature in his arms to take it to a well where he could get some water to wash and dress the dog's wounds.

He paid no attention to the fact that his clothes were being ruined by the blood from the dog's wounds.

At the time he was passing through a stretch of desert, and it was not until he came to a small oasis that he could find a well. To his dismay, there was no rope and bucket with which he could draw up water. But he quickly collected some leaves from nearby trees, fastened them together to make a small bucket, and used his turban as a rope.

Dropping the improvised bucket down a well, he found that the length of his turban was too short to reach the water. As he had nothing else to lengthen the rope, he quickly took off his shirt and tied it to his turban. Still the rope was too short.

Accordingly, he removed his trousers, which were of thin cotton, and added them. This made the rope long enough. The holy man then drew water from the well, washed the dog's wounds and bandaged them. Carrying the dog in his arms, he struggled on until he came to a village.

There he went to the mosque and begged the Mullah, "Please take care of this poor dog until I return this way from Mecca."

"Have no doubts or fears, brother, for I will assuredly take the dog with me when I return."

That night when Hazrat Junaid slept, a radiant celestial being appeared to him in a vision. Holding out in his hands in blessing over Junaid, the being said:

"0 Junaid, your pilgrimage to Mecca has already been accomplished. This is because you have shown your love for the Lord by taking pity on one of his creatures without considering your own comfort.

"So now, 0 brother, it is up to you whether or not to complete your pilgrimage to Mecca.

"So far as God is concerned, He is already very pleased with you.

"For, love for Him and all His creatures is far more pleasing to Him than a hundred pilgrimages."

"Love alone counts in the court of the Lord

Love and devotion are to him most dear."

- "Tales of the Mystic East" - Maharaj Sawan Singh Ji