Imām Alī used to say: “I do not worship a God I have not seen.” Now during the battle of Uhud a flying arrow struck Imām Alī in the leg. He tried his best to pull it out, but the wound was causing too much physical pain. Then he turned to his comrades and said: “Pull out the arrow while I am performing the prayer.” When he had completed the prayer by turning his head to the left and pronouncing the greeting of peace, he asked if they had removed the arrow but it had been extracted while he was still performing his prayer. This event shows that Imām Alī was at the Station of Direct Contemplation throughout the time he was praying, and that he was then unaware of the physical pain he felt the rest of the time.

– Sheikh Muzaffer Özak Âşkî al-Jerrahi (qss)
Muzaffer Ozak al-Jerrahi, Irshad: Wisdom of a Sufi Master