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As-Salaam alaikum, Imam al-Qushayri recounted the following story in his book, 'Epistle On Sufism' , where he said that Ibn al-Maliki related that Abu Hamza al-Khurasani said:-- "One year I went on the pilgrimage (to Makka on Hajj). As I was walking along the road, I fell into a well. My soul prompted me to cry for help. However, I said to myself: 'No, by Allah I will never cry for help! Before I could finish with this thought, 2 men passed by the mouth of the well. One of them said to the other: 'Come on let us cover the mouth of this well lest someone falls into it.' They brought some reed and mats and blocked off the mouth of the well. I wanted to cry out, then said to myself: 'I will cry to the One who is nearer to me than they! So I did not say a word. After a while, something came by, opened the mouth of the well, and lowered its leg into the pit, as if it wanted to tell me in a growl: 'Hold on to me'! When I realized that this [invitation] came from Him, I grabbed hold of it and it pulled me out. And lo! It turned out to be a lion. Then it went away. Suddenly [I heard] a voice, saying: 'Abu Hamza, isn't this better!? I have saved you from one peril with another one.!"