Ibrahim ibn Bashshar, the protégé of Ibrahim ibn Adham (may Allah be pleased with him) says that he asked Ibrahim about the beginning of his quest to serve Allah. Ibrahim said:
'My father was a king of Balkh (Central Khurasan). We used to love hunting. I went out one day on my horse accompanied by my dog. Suddenly a rabbit or a fox jumped up and agitated my horse. Then , I heard a voice from behind me saying, "You have not been created for this; nor have you been ordered to do this (hunting for pleasure)."
I looked around me left and right but I did not see anybody. I cursed the Devil and continued to ride. But then, my horse started to shake again and I heard the same voice saying the same thing. I looked around and found no one so I cursed the devil again and tried to continue. But my horse would not stop trying to shake me off. Then, I heard a voice from beneath my saddlebow calling me by name and saying: "O Ibrahim! You have not been create for this; nor have you been ordered to do this."
So I stopped and realized that a warner from the Lord of the Worlds had come to wake me up from my state of oblivion. I vowed not to disobey my Lord from this day, lest He does not protect me. Then I returned to my family. I went to see one of my father's shepherds and exchanged my clothes for this long shirt and blanket. Then I traveled across the mountains and valleys to Iraq.
I worked there for a few days but I was not satisfied with the purity of my earnings. I asked a learned person about this and he told me to go to Syria. I did so and reached a town called Al-Mansoora (or Maseesah). But even here, I as not satisfied with the purity of my earnings. Another learned person told me to go to Tarsoos where there was said to be plenty of work and good pure earnings. I went there and sat on the beach when a man came and hired me to be a warden many days until one day a servant came along with many friends and shouted: "O warden!".
I went over to him. He asked me to bring him the biggest pomegranate. I went and brought him the biggest pomegranate. He cut it and found it very sour and complained. "Warden! You have been here in our orchard for so many days eating our fruits, but yet you don't know the difference between a good pomegranate and a sour one?"
I told him I had never tasted any of the fruits I guarded. The servant pointed towards his companions and said: "Did you hear what he said? He couldn't have said anything more if he were Ibrahim ibn Adham."
The servant left and discussed me in the masjid the next day. One person recognized who I was. The servant came to the orchard with a large contingent of people. I hid amongst the trees and scampered as soon as I had the chance to do so. This was the beginning of my quest and this is how I left Tarsoos to travel the desert. (Ibid:29)