ALLEGORIES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BELIEVERS(4)
Allegory-4
This is narrative of a person who was being blessed by Allah. But
when the time of trials and tribulations came, he became ungrateful and
left the door of the True giver of blessings, and went to the door of
others, the deed which was not worthy.
This incident has been quoted by Shaikh Bahai in his book Kashkol. We
narrate below this incident briefly. A worshipper was passing his days
in a cave on one of the mountains of Lebanon, like the people of Kahf.
He had estranged himself from everyone except Allah, and he considered
solitude to be the best treasure of his honour. He fasted during the
day, and at night he got a loaf of bread, half of which he ate at the
evening during 'Iftaar', while the other half during 'Sehar'. And this
moderation had made his heart contented, He passed his days in such a
state. He was never ready to leave the mountains and go to the town. It
so happened that one night he did not get the bread to eat, and so he
became weak and exshauted. He recited the evening prayers with
difficulty for his mind was eager for food. Because of hunger he could neither
pray nor sleep. When it dawned, the worshipper left the mountain and
went to a nearby town whose inhabitants were fire
worshippers and searched for food. He knocked at the door of a
fire-worshipper and he gave him tow breads. He thanked him and left for
the mountain. At the house of the fire-worshipper there was a dog whose
bones and veins were visible due to starvation. The dog seemed quite
hungry. When the dog saw the worshipper going with the bread, it ran
after him and caught hold of his shirt. The worshipper was scared, and
in order to save himself from the dog's bite, threw a bread at it. The
dog ate the bread and again ran after him. The worshipper was all the
more scared and threw the second bread towards it. After eating the
bread, the dog again ran after him. It started barking and tore his
clothes. When the worshipper saw this, he turned towards the dog and
said, " I have never seen a more ungrateful creature than you. Your
master gave me two breads only, which you wretched soul snatched away
from
me. Why do you now run after me tearing my clothes". The dog relied,
".O pious man ! I am not ungrateful nor shameless, it is you who are
so. Since my childhood I have been living with this fire-worshipper,
and look after his cattle. Sometimes he gives me bread, while sometimes
a handful of bones. Sometimes he forgets to feed me and Istarve due to hunger.
It also happens that
many days pass without me getting anything to eat. And many times this
man himself does not have anything to eat I do not go to any other
door, for I have grown up here and have got refuge. Whenever I am fed,
I offer thanks, and when I have to remain hungry, I bear patiently (and
do not grumble at my master). This is my habit. While when you did not
get food for one night, the foundation of your patience broke. You left
the door of the `True Sustainer', and came begging to the door of His
enemy. You left your Lord for the sake of a morsel of food. O wise man
! Now you judge as to who is ungrateful and shameless, yourself or me"?
When the worshipper heard these words. he deplored himself and
repented.
(Here
Shaikh Bahai addresses himself and says) O Bahai, having the soul of a
dog. If you do not have patience (and trust in your Lord) you are worse
than that dog.
It
is appropriate to quote here the words of Shaikh Sa'adi : Man is the
best creature (Ashraful Makhluqaat), while the dog is a wretched soul.
And all wise men opine that a faithful dog is better than an ungrateful
man. Because the dog never ever forgets a morsel of food fed to it,
even though it is hurt a hundred times. While even if a man is
fed throughout his life. then too he will be ready for combat for small
things.
Ref:Manazelul Akherah
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