Shaykh Ahmed Guri was renowned for his gallantry and intrepidity. One day he sought shelter under a bridge with his followers. By chance Sultan Sanjar happened to pass by the bridge.
“What crowd is there under the bridge?” he asked.
“We are without head or foot,” said the saint. “If you regard us as your friends, soon shall we strip you of your sovereignty. If, on the other hand, you are our enemy and not our friend, we shall instantly denounce you as an infidel. Think well of our friendship and our enmity. Set your feet in the realm of either and see yourself disgraced.”
Sanjar said: “I am not your man. I am neither your friend nor your enemy. I am going away at once so that my harvest may not be burnt.”
The Hoopoe sums up the discourse by adding: “Whoever enters the path with a valiant spirit will command respect like a prince, even though he may be a pauper.”
Another bird enquired, “What is the value of justice and fidelity in the supreme court of the Simurg? By the grace of God I am treading in the path of justice, and I have never been faithless to anyone.”
“The queen of all virtues is justice,” said the Hoopoe. “You will obtain a much richer reward if you act with justice than if you devote your whole life to prayer and prostration. There is, moreover, no deed more valiant than an act of justice.”