Ancient Wisdom

To celebrate his birthday, ' Tamerlane ' presented each of his courtiers with a large box. As the advisers and nobility opened their presents, they found robes stitched with golden thread and set with precious gems. But when ' Nasrudin' , who had recently fallen from royal favor, unwrapped his gift he found an old donkey blanket inside. ‘Merciful Allah,’ he cried, ‘witness the generosity of Tamerlane', who has honored his servant with the coat off his own back.’

  According to 'Abu-Talib Makki' , Moses related tales of how he learnt to widen his understanding from narrow assumptions to correct perspective. Moses was ill, and he was offered various remedies to treat the sickness. But he refused, saying that God would help him instead. But God, it is related, commanded Moses to use medicines, saying: 'By refusing to accept the mission of the medicine, you have called into question the wisdom of him who endowed the remedies with their virtue!’ It is for this reason that there is a saying, 'Trust in God and tie your camel.’ If you were expected to do nothing, why is there such a thing as a camel-hobble? 'Hadrat Bahaudin Naqshband' of Bokhara has said, in this connection: 'If a withering leaf says by its appearance that it needs water and because you have the power to provide it you also have the duty to do so, these "words” of the leaf are the manifestation of the command of the creator of the leaf, and are addre

'Nasrudin' was out walking when a bee stung him on the nose. The wound began to swell alarmingly and he hurried off to see the doctor. As he crossed the bazaar, a wag pointed and laughed: "Where did you get that nose-from a donkey?" 'Yes' replied the ' Mulla' . 'When God divided the ass, he gave you the brain and me the nose."   [Source: The World Of Nasrudin by Idrees Shah]