When Junaid Baghdadi learned Sufism from a Barber?

Jonaid recounted a powerful lesson he learned from a humble barber. He narrated the following incident:

During a visit to Mecca, I approached a barber who was in the midst of trimming another man’s hair. “Could you please shave my head for the sake of God?” I requested. Without hesitation, the barber, his eyes brimming with tears, halted his current task. “Wait here,” he said to the gentleman, “When God’s name is invoked, everything else must pause.”

He motioned for me to take a seat, tenderly kissed my forehead, and then proceeded to shave off my hair. Afterward, he handed me a small bundle of coins wrapped in paper. “Use this for your necessities,” he insisted.

Touched by his generosity and sincerity, I made a vow to myself that I would repay his kindness at the earliest opportunity. Shortly thereafter, a bag of gold arrived from Basra. Without hesitation, I carried it to the barber.

Perplexed, he questioned, “What is this for?” I explained, “I had resolved to offer you the first gift I received as charity. This has just arrived, so it is yours.”

The barber’s response was one of astonishment and reproach. “Do you not fear God’s judgment?” he admonished. “You asked me to serve you for the sake of God, yet now you offer payment. Is it right to seek reward for an act done in the name of God?”

Sufi Art: Sufi Under Tree