‘My son, I swear by Allah, when I recalled Allah’s majesty in my heart, the Sultan became like a kitten in front of me!’

“I heard the shaykh and Imam (Allah have mercy on him) say, I heard our shaykh al-Baji say;

Our shaykh `Izz al-Din went to the Sultan in al-Qal`a one time on Eid day and saw the army in full array before the gathering of the ruler who does not make an entrance before his people except in splendour, - as was the custom in Egypt - and the officials would begin kissing the floor before the Sultan/king.

The Shaykh [al `Izz Ibn `Abd al-Salam] turned to the Sultan and called out to him saying, ‘O Ayyub! What is your argument before Allah when he asks you, ‘Did I not give you the land of Egypt and yet you permitted alcohol?’’

[The Sultan] asked, ‘is this the case?’

[al `Izz Ibn `Abd al-Salam] replied, ‘indeed, wine is sold in such and such tavern’ [food + alcohol place] –mentioning other evil acts (munkarat) too – ‘while you bask in the luxury of this kingdom!’ While he (al 'Izz) was shouting at the top of his voice in front of the army.

[The Sultan] said, ‘my master, I am not the one who did this. It s from the time of my father.

[al `Izz Ibn `Abd al-Salam] retorted, ‘what, are of those who say (Lo! We found our fathers following this and we are guided by their footprints)?’

The Sultan [then] ordered the tavern (the place where the alcohol was sold) be closed.

I heard the Shaykh and Imam say that I heard al-Baji say, I later asked [al `Izz Ibn `Abd al-Salam] when he had returned from the Sultan and had publically done this good, ‘my master how are you?’ he replied, ‘my son, I saw [the Sultan] in that grand state and wanted to humiliate him in case he puffed himself up with pride.’
I then asked him, ‘my master did you fear him?’ He replied, ‘my son, I swear by Allah, when I recalled Allah’s majesty in my heart, the Sultan became like a kitten in front of me!’…


al-Subki, Tabaqat al-Shafi`iyyat al-Kubra, 8:211-212.

http://blog.alsiraat.co.uk/articles/...in-front-of-me