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 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.

Hear David speak about this story and read the comic below.

Who will feed a man of Allah?

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.