422 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [December, 1909. 
of the life and times of the saint. Suffice it for the present to sa 
that Shaykh Abu Sa‘id Fazl’ullah was the son of Shaykh Abu’! 
Khayr, was born at Mahna in Khurasan in 356 H., and died at 
an advanced age in 440 H. (967—1049 A.D.). While the Shaykh 
was a celebrated saint of the time, it appears that he often gave 
expression to his inward thoughts in verse of the kind known as 
Ruba‘iyat. These quatrains, as those of Abu Ismail ‘Abdu’llah 
Ansari of Herat and others, which were composed to express 
their theosophic feelings of human relation with the Universal 
Soul, have been found to be the most beautiful compositions of 
which the Persian language can deservedly boast. Converted to 
Suffism by Luqman Majniin who led him by the hand and 
introduced him to Pir Abu’l Fazl, the Shaykh at once imbibed 
the new spirit of Love and Renunciation with such devotion 
contracts marriage, mixes with mankind, and yet be not for a 
single moment forgetful of his God.’’ On another occasion, 
Shaykh Abu Sa‘id ibn Abu’l Khayr was asked as to the meaning 
of Tasawwuf. His reply was: ‘‘ Lay down what is in thy head, 
give away whatever is in thy hand, and do not flinch, whatever 
Th 
or the Kurst (Divine Throne and Chair), but thy egoism and 
Gart are the veil ; have them taken off and thou wilt reach 
