Chapter V: Oneness of God and Trust in God
It was reported that a Derbesh slept by a man at Mecca who had a purse of money, the man got up from sleep and found his purse stolen. He attributed it to the Derbesh who said : How much money was there in your purse ? The Derbesh went to his house and paid the money to him. His friend latter on informed the man that out of joke they took the purse. When the Derbesh was asked to take back his money, he refused to take it and said :
Take it as lawful and good property. I will not take back the money which I spent in the way of God. He did not accept it. They repeatedly requested him to accept it and then he called his son and told him to distribute it to the poor and he did accordingly.
This was the practice and conduct of the early sages.
(5) The fifth rule is the lowest stage. He shall not curse the thief who takes his property. If he does that, his God-reliance is spoiled. If he feels sorry for what he missed, his renunciation is destroyed. The Prophet said : He who curses his oppressor, takes revenge. It is reported that a horse of Rabi bin Kasim was stolen.
It cost him 20 thousand dirhams. He was saying his prayer at that time. He did not give up his prayer nor did he search for it. A company of men came to him to show sympathy. He told them : I saw that a thief was taking away the camel. He was asked : Why did you not catch him ? He said : The prayer in which I was then was dearer to me than the horse. When they began to chase the thief, he said : Don't pursue him talk good as I gifted it to him. A certain sage among them was asked when his property was stolen : Will you not curse one who oppressed you ? He said : I don't want to be a helper of the devil in the work. He was told :
Don't you wish to get back your property ? He said : I will not accept it, nor look to him as I gifted it to him.
Another sage was told : Curse one who has oppressed you.
He said : Nobody oppressed me. He oppressed his own soul. Is it not punishment on him? I don't want to inflict more punishment to him. Once a man was rebuking Hajjaj-bin-Eusuf for his oppression in presence of a certain sage. He said : Don't immerse
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yourself in his rebuke as God will take revenge on Hajjaj on behalf of the man whose honour he destroyed.