Chapter II: Patience and Gratefulness
complained to a wise man of his poverty and expressed sorrows.
The wise man asked him: Will you like to be blind if you get 10,000 dirhams? He replied: I don't like to be blind. He again asked him: Will you like to become dumb in exchange of ten thousand dirhams? He said: Never. He asked him again: Will you like that your two hands and feet are cut in exchange of 20 thousand dirhams? He said: Never. He asked him: Will you like that you become mad in exchange of ten thousand dirhams? He said: Never. The pious man said: Should you not feel ashamed to your Creator that He has given you a gift of fifty thousand dirhams but yet you are not expressing gratefulness for them to Him?
It has been narrated that a learned man was hard pressed with poverty. He had not an inch of land. One night he dreamt that a man was saying to him: Do you like that you get a thousand dirhams and in exchange you forget the chapter An'am of the Quran? He said: Never. He again asked him: Do you like that you forget the chapter Cow in exchange of a thousand dirhams? He said: Never. Then he asked him thus of several chapters and he replied the same. Then he said: You have got profit of one lac dinars yet you are complaining. When he got up from sleep, he was pleased and his grievances vanished away.
The saint Samad went to a certain Caliph with a pot when he was drinking water in a glass. The Caliph said to him: Give me advice. The saint Samad said: If you are not given a sip of drink in exchange of your kingdom when you are thirsty, will you not spend all your resources to get it? The Caliph 'said: Surely, 1 would spend everything. The saint said: If it is not given to you inspite of your kingdom, will you not give up your kingdom?
The Caliph said: I will surely do it. The saint said: In that case, don't remain content with your kingdom, because is not equal even to a glass of water.
Three things are found in every man-intellect, conduct and knowledge. There is no such a man who is not satisfied with his given intellect. He believes that he is the wisest man and prays little for more intellect. Even he who has got no intellect is pleased with his position. So for his satisfaction he should feel grateful to God. Regarding conduct, there is no such man who does not find fault with others and for that he hates him.
Regarding knowledge, there is no such man who has got no
104 PATIENCE AND GRATEFULNESS Vol-IV