Three episodes from ‘Muslim saints and Mystics’

Abu Hamid bin Abu Bakr Ibrahim Farid al-Din Attar was born in ad 1145 or 1146 in Nishapur province of Iranian Khorasan and died circa 1221. There is disagreement over the exact dates of his birth and death, but several sources confirm that he lived almost a hundred years. Different stories are told about the death of Attar. One common story is as follows. He was captured by a Mongol. One day someone came along and offered a thousand pieces of silver for him. Attar told the Mongol not to sell him for that price since the price was not right. The Mongol accepted Attar’s words and did not sell him. Later, someone else came along and offered a sack of straw for him