Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya is said to have told the tale, that a certain Pir well acquainted with the Sufi path had a son, let us call him Mohammed, who had just finished his studies in several worldly sciences. Mohammed approached his father and expressed his wish to follow the Sufi path. In response, the father directed his son to undertake a retreat of forty days.

When the retreat was completed the son returned to his father, who thereupon asked him several questions concerning the sciences he had studied. These Mohammed answered correctly.

“This retreat does not seem to have helped you,” the Pir said, and directed him to undertake another forty day retreat.

Mohammed did as he was directed. When he returned to his father, the Pir once again tested him with questions related to the sciences he had studied. This time, Mohammed faltered in answering, and his father asked him to take one more retreat.

When the son came again to his father, the Pir tested him once more, but Mohammed was now so lost in the thought of God that he was unable to answer any questions at all.