There was once a young boy whose father was a very pious man that used to invite the family and the neighbours each night to pray together and to listen to readings from the Holy Koran. One night, though, the boy looked around at the others in the circle, and realized that most of them were not paying any attention, and some were even sleeping. When the reading was finished, he said to his father, “These foolish people are wasting their precious opportunity. They ignore the holy words and think only of their comfort. They will never find God in a thousand years!”

His father said, “My boy, how do you know that God does not speak to them directly while they sleep? Who are you to judge? With all my soul I would rather see you sleeping than hear you say such harsh words again.”

The young boy took the lesson deeply to heart, and in later years, he became known as the great Sufi, Hafiz Shirazi.