The following anecdote from the life of Hazrat Inayat Khan, when he was traveling somewhere in England during the First World War, gives an interesting illustration of the theme of intoxication and sobriety.

One day Murshid arrived in a town at an unexpected hours, and found nobody at the train station to meet him. No lights were to be found in the streets during the time of war, nor was a vehicle to be found. Murshid was left alone with all his things to carry, his hands full of bags and his instrument.

He walked along the road, expecting to find someone who could show him the way. He saw at a distance men coming. As he approached, he found that they had all drunk and were at the moment of their greatest glory. They were laughing aloud. Shouting, fighting and dancing, they came near to the Murshid where he was standing, loaded with all his bags in the dark. As they approached, one saw Murshid and said, “Oh, who is that?” and in answer to this came out from everyone a bursting laughter. And Murshid’s glance fell on them as a lightning, and it seemed as if all their intoxication and feeling of gaiety vanished in a moment.

Then he asked them for the place he was searching after and they said, “We will take you to the place.” One man took Murshid’s bag, a second another bag, and a third also took something, but Murshid would not give anyone his vina, but two took it away from him, with all the force they had, and walked on the way so quietly as if they were on their sacred duty. There was not the slightest sign of intoxication left. Everyone of them seemed to have been controlled by some impression within him which he himself did not realise till the moment they escorted the Murshid.