The True Kingdom: Ibrahim Ibn Adham (Quddisa Sirruhu)
Ibrahim b. Adham, revered as both a spiritual sultan and an actual sovereign ruler, was born in the city of Balkh, located in what is now northern Afghanistan. His life has been recounted through numerous varying accounts, but one of the most renowned traditions tells of his reign as the king of Balkh before he renounced his throne and embraced the ascetic path. In those early days, Ibrahim ruled from his throne, adorned in fine garments, riding horses, and delighting in hunting. Despite his worldly power and indulgences, those who were spiritually perceptive among his contemporaries—wise believers and Sufis—would occasionally offer him poignant reminders to awaken his heart and turn his gaze toward the hereafter.
One such transformative event is widely narrated. One night, as Ibrahim slept in his bed in the opulence of his palace, a sudden noise startled him awake. The sound seemed to emanate from the roof above. Disturbed, he called out, "Who is there? What business do you have on the palace roof?" A voice responded, "I am no stranger—I’ve lost my camel and am searching for it."
Infuriated by what he perceived as folly, Ibrahim retorted, "You fool! Who searches for a camel on a roof?" The voice answered calmly but with piercing clarity, "O heedless one! And what of you, seeking Allah amid silk and satin bedding and atop thrones of gold and jewels? How is that any different from searching for a camel on a roof?"
These words struck Ibrahim deeply. He leapt from his bed, commanding his attendants to search the palace grounds and roof for the mysterious visitor. Yet no trace of the man could be found, either in the palace or its gardens. Troubled and unable to shake the encounter, Ibrahim spent the remainder of the night in contemplation, sleep eluding him as his mind wrestled with the profound implications of the man’s words.
The next day, the royal court convened as usual. Ibrahim took his place upon the throne, but his thoughts were consumed by the events of the previous night. While state matters were being discussed, a striking man entered the court unannounced. Neither guards nor attendants had managed to stop him. Ibrahim, unsettled by the man’s imposing presence, demanded to know who he was, why he had come, and what he sought.
The man replied, "I am a traveler, and I wish to stay in this inn for a few days."
Angered by the audacity of the claim, Ibrahim shot back, "What foolishness is this? This is no inn—it is my palace!" The man, unfazed, asked, "And who owned this palace before you?" Ibrahim answered, "It belonged to my father." The man continued, "And before him?" Ibrahim responded, "My grandfather." The questioning persisted: "And before him?" Ibrahim named yet another predecessor. The man pressed on, "And what became of them all?"
"They died," Ibrahim admitted.
With a quiet but profound resolve, the man replied, "Then how can you claim this palace as yours, when one leaves, and another comes? This is but a fleeting stop for all who pass through." With those words, the man turned and left as abruptly as he had appeared.
A sudden clarity washed over Ibrahim. It dawned on him that the man before him was none other than the figure who had spoken to him from the roof the previous night. Chasing after him, Ibrahim called out, "Who are you? From where do you come?" The man replied, "I roam the land, sea, and sky, and am known as Khidr."
Realizing the gravity of the encounter, Ibrahim said, "Wait for me—I must return home and will come back to you shortly." Khidr, however, replied, "There is no time for that; this matter is urgent," and vanished from sight.
Ibrahim’s inner fire grew even stronger, his distress intensified. He couldn't make sense of what he heard at night and what he witnessed during the day.
One day, he gave the order: "Saddle the horse, I will go hunting; let us see where this state of mine will lead." He mounted his horse and set out into the desert. He wandered aimlessly in the desert, in a state of bewilderment, unsure of what to do. At one point, he became separated from his guards and strayed far off. At this moment, he heard a voice saying, "Awaken!" He pretended not to hear it. He heard this voice a second and a third time. However, each time he ignored it. The fourth time, he heard a voice: “Awaken yourself before others awaken you!” Upon hearing this address, Ibrahim ibn Adham lost all resolve.
At that moment, some game appeared. He spurred his horse to pursue it. While doing so, he heard a voice from the unseen: “O Ibrahim! You were not created for this, nor were you commanded with this.” He stopped and looked to his right and left but saw no one. “May Allah curse him! This is Iblis!” he said. He spurred his horse again. With a louder and clearer voice than before, it was said: “O Ibrahim! You were not created for this, nor were you commanded with this.”
Ibrahim stopped, and looked to his right and left, but saw no one. “May Allah the Exalted curse him! This is Iblis!” he said and spurred his horse once more. However, this time he heard the very same words from beneath his horse's saddle. A feeling of grief and fear arose within him. He said to himself, "A warning has come to me from the Lord of the Worlds. I swear by Allah that I will not disobey Him after this day. My Lord desires me to be a righteous person."
Upon this incident, he wept profusely, so much so that his clothes were soaked with his tears. He sincerely repented. Then he turned back. He encountered a shepherd. Upon closer inspection, he realized that this was one of his own shepherds. He took off the gold-embroidered caftan he was wearing and gave it to him. He himself put on the shepherd's cloak and head covering. He also gifted him the sheep. He abandoned his crown and throne, chose the path of asceticism (zuhd), and became one of the leaders of the awliya.
From that moment on, Ibrahim ibn Adham opened his eyes to an entirely different world, immersed in the contemplation of a divine realm. This contemplation completely erased his previous conceptions of beauty. Thus, the royal garments he meticulously wore each morning and the Sultanate of Balkh, which filled him with pride, lost all their splendor and adornment in his eyes. Instead, he became the king of such spiritual wealth that earthly kings were forgotten, but he was not.
