When the friend of God was at the point of death, he did not surrender his soul to Azraïl without regret: “Withdraw,” he said to him, “and tell the King of the universe not to demand the soul of His friend.” But God Most High said to him: “If Thou art My friend, thou oughtest to desire to come and find Me. The life of one who would regret giving it for his friend should be wrested from him with the sword.” A person who was present said: “O Abraham! light of the world! why dost Thou not willingly give thy life to Azraïl? How is it that lovers have staked their lives on the path of spiritualism, while Thou art so attached to thine?” — “How,” Abraham replied, “could I willingly leave this life, when Azraïl’s foot has come between us?” When Gabriel came to the fire and said to me
“Thinking only of God, I did not look at Azrael when he asked me something. Since, then, I turned my head away from Gabriel, how could I surrender my soul to Azrael? I do not wish to make a voluntary sacrifice of my life until I hear God Himself say to me: ‘Give your life.’ When I receive the command to relinquish it, the world of my soul will not be worth half a grain of barley to me.
“How, in either world, could I give my life to anyone, unless He Himself commanded it? That is all I have to say.”
“How, in either world, could I give my life to anyone, unless He Himself commanded it? That is all I have to say.”