abdulhakeem
27-10-03, 09:50 PM
Rabi'ah the mystic lived in a hut in the desert near Basra sustained by the gifts people brought when they came to ask her advice or to learn from her. One day, two scholars came to visit her, and Rabi'ah had nothing to offer them but two loaves of bread from the day before. She had hardly placed them on the table for them when a beggar came and asked for alms. Without thinking twice, Rabi'ah took the loaves and gave them to the beggar. The two scholars got angry at this, but because of their respect for Rabi'ah they said nothing.
So they sat together for a while talking, and the two visitors gradually got used to the idea that they would have to leave hungry when a slave girl came and brought eighteen fresh loaves, still warm from the oven. She said, "My mistress sends you these."
Rabi'ah counted the loaves and said, "I do not believe that your mistress sent these to me. Go back and take them with you." While the slave girl obeyed, pale in her face, the two scholars became angry again, even more than before, but they said nothing.
After a short while, the slave girl came again. This time she brought twenty loaves. The first time, she had taken two of them away for herself. When Rabi'ah saw that there were twenty loaves, she said, "This is right." She gave two of them to the slave girl as a reward and gave the others to her guests to eat.
Finallay the two scholars asked Rabi'ah to tell them the secret of what had happened, and she said, "When you came in, I saw that you were hungry, so I offered you the two loaves from yesterday, at the same time feeling ashamed that I had nothing better to offer to honourable guests like you. Then the beggar came, and I gave the two loaves to him because I did not want to send him away emptyhanded, trusting God to help His servants when they are generous and hospitable. Since God gives a tenfold reward for every good action, I noticed at once that two of the twenty loaves sent through the girl were missing, and I gave her a chance to make up for her dishonesty."
So they sat together for a while talking, and the two visitors gradually got used to the idea that they would have to leave hungry when a slave girl came and brought eighteen fresh loaves, still warm from the oven. She said, "My mistress sends you these."
Rabi'ah counted the loaves and said, "I do not believe that your mistress sent these to me. Go back and take them with you." While the slave girl obeyed, pale in her face, the two scholars became angry again, even more than before, but they said nothing.
After a short while, the slave girl came again. This time she brought twenty loaves. The first time, she had taken two of them away for herself. When Rabi'ah saw that there were twenty loaves, she said, "This is right." She gave two of them to the slave girl as a reward and gave the others to her guests to eat.
Finallay the two scholars asked Rabi'ah to tell them the secret of what had happened, and she said, "When you came in, I saw that you were hungry, so I offered you the two loaves from yesterday, at the same time feeling ashamed that I had nothing better to offer to honourable guests like you. Then the beggar came, and I gave the two loaves to him because I did not want to send him away emptyhanded, trusting God to help His servants when they are generous and hospitable. Since God gives a tenfold reward for every good action, I noticed at once that two of the twenty loaves sent through the girl were missing, and I gave her a chance to make up for her dishonesty."