Caravan of 12 travellers

Sayyiduna Imam Awza’ee رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has said: A pious man told me a parable: I used to be wandering worriedly all the time in search of pious saints and would wander in deserts, mountains and jungles in order to find out their residence so that I could attain the blessing of their company. Once, I left for Egypt for the same purpose. When I reached near Egypt I saw a tent in a deserted place in which there was a person who had lost his arms, legs and eyes due to leprosy, but even in this state he was praising Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ in the following words: O my Lord عَزَّوَجَلَّ! I praise You in the way which is equivalent to the praise of Your entire creation. O my Lord عَزَّوَجَلَّ! Undoubtedly, You are the Creator of the entire creation and you are superior to all; I praise You for this gift that You have made me superior to many people in your creation.

The pious man رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه said: When I saw this condition of that man, I said that by Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! I must ask the person if he has been taught these sacred sentences of Hamd (glorifying Allah) or they have been revealed to him. So I went to him with the same intention and said Salam. He answered to my Salam. I said: O the pious person! I want to ask you a question about one thing. Will you answer me? He said: If I know اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه عَزَّوَجَلَّ I will definitely answer you. I asked: What is the blessing for which you are praising Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and what is the superiority bestowed on you, for which you are expressing thanks? (Though you have lost your hands, legs and eyes etc., even then you are praising Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ). That person replied: Don’t you see how my Lord عَزَّوَجَلَّ has treated me? I replied: Why not, I have seen everything. He then started saying: Look! If Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ had willed, He would have showered fire upon me from the sky which could have burnt me and reduced to ashes. If He عَزَّوَجَلَّ had willed, He عَزَّوَجَلَّ would have commanded the mountains and the mountains could have destroyed me. If Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ had willed, He عَزَّوَجَلَّ would have commanded the oceans which could have drowned me, or if He عَزَّوَجَلَّ had commanded the earth, it would have sunk me into it, but see, Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has kept me safe from all these calamities. So then why shouldn’t I thank my  Lord عَزَّوَجَلَّ, why shouldn’t I praise Him and why shouldn’t I have devotion to my Lord عَزَّوَجَلَّ? (‘Uyoon-ul-Hikayaat, vol. 1, pp. 146)