Bishr the Barefoot

Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith (بشر بن الحارث) better known as Bishr al-Ḥāfī (Bishr the Barefoot) (بشر الحافي) was a Muslim saint born near Merv in about 767 C.E. He converted and studied Muslim tradition under Al-Fozail ibn Iyaz. Bishr became famous as one of the greatest saints in the area. Bishr was born in Merv and settled at Baghdad where he spent his nights and days in impudence. One story of his conversion involves Musa al-Kadhim, who once happened to pass by his house in Baghdad. He saw a slave girl coming out of his house and asked her whether the owner of the house was a free man or a servant. She told him he was free man. Musa al-Kadhim told her she was right, because "if he was a servant, he would fear his Lord". When the slave girl came back into the house, she gave Bishr an account of what took place between her and al-Kadhim. It is said that Bishr quickly jumped to his feet and headed to the door barefooted, but the pious man had already left. He left in pursuit of the man and when he finally caught up with him asked him to repeat his words and he obliged. Bishr was so taken aback by his words that he fell to the ground and began to cry, saying "No, I am a slave, I am a slave!" From then onwards he walked without shoes and people began calling him Bishr al-Haafi (The barefooted one). When asked why he did not wear shoes, he would reply "My master Allah guided me when I was barefooted, and I will remain in this condition till death". Another story of his conversion was anarrated by Attar in the Memorial of the Saints. Attar narrated that Bishr had lived a life of dissipation, and one day, as he was staggering along the road drunk, he found a piece of paper on which was written, “In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.” Bishr is said to have bought an attar of roses and perfumed the paper with it, and then deposited it reverently in his house. That night a venerable man had a dream in which he was bidden to tell Bishr: Thou hast perfumed My Name, so I have perfumed thee. Thou hast exalted My Name, so I have exalted thee.