Who Will Feed a Man of Allah?

This comic is part of a new book our team is working on — a graphic anthology that illustrates selected stories from Journey in Grace by David L. Sterling.

One fall morning in Berkeley, as David opened his modest restaurant, a man appeared in the doorway and called out:

“Who will feed a man of Allah?”

It was the kind of moment that could have gone unnoticed. Another homeless traveler. Another voice in the street.

But David responded — not just with food, but with presence.
He welcomed him in.

What followed was no ordinary encounter. The man was a wandering dervish from Iran — a being who seemed to have stepped out of another world. No money. No possessions. Just a staff, a bowl, a heart full of prayer, and eyes that carried light.

He stayed in David’s life for almost a year.
And when he left, he gave David three gifts — each simple, but charged with spiritual meaning.

These gifts became a turning point in David’s life.
But that part of the story... we’ll explore in the chapters to come.

For now, here is the story of that first meeting — the day a stranger entered David’s restaurant and quietly changed everything.

Art by Charbak Dipta

🌿 A Note on the Dervish’s Path

Sayed Jamarani came from a respected and well-off religious family in Iran, surrounded by scholars and immersed in Islamic teachings. At one point in his life, he chose to set aside worldly comfort and travel — not permanently, but as a spiritual discipline.

His journey was about cultivating deep trust: to walk without knowing where he would sleep or how he would eat. To rely entirely on God. To sharpen his awareness and surrender to Divine guidance.

This practice is not a path for everyone, but for some, it is a calling.

This story is not a prescription, but a reflection — a glimpse into the mystery of how the Divine can reach us in the most unexpected ways.

And it echoes a reminder from the Qur’an:

“And how many a creature carries not its own provision!
Allah provides for it and for you.
He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.”
— Surah Al-‘Ankabut (29:60)

As we will see in future chapters, his presence left behind more than memories.