When Bayazid Bistami, a great Sufi of Iran who came to be known as the Sultan ul Arifeen, or the Prince of the Knowers, was living in Baghdad, he once had an unpleasant experience with a group of men who had been drinking.

It was evening, and as Bayazid walked home, his way led him past the rowdy group. One of them was playing an oud and they were singing loudly and unmusically. Seeing the Sufi, they began to shout at him and abuse him. Bayazid replied mildly, but this only provoked more insults. Though he did his best to calm them, the liquor was in their blood, and in the end the one with the oud whirled it about and smashed it down on Bayazid’s head, who finally reached home with blood streaming down his face.

The next morning Bayazid got a basket of sweets, put some coins in it, and sent it by a servant to the man who had struck him, with this message: ‘Last night, my head broke your instrument, so please accept these coins to buy a new one. And as your tongue was rather sour when we met, I hope these sweets will remove the sourness.’

When the man received the gifts, Bayazid’s gesture left him filled with shame. Repenting of his ways, he called his friends together and they went in a group to Bayazid to beg forgiveness. From that day, it is said, the man gave up drinking, and thereafter led a pious, respectable life.