Ancient Wisdom

Once, in the vast desert, an Arab and his wife lived in extreme poverty. Their meager existence became a reproach to their neighbors. The wife, weary of their destitution, began to berate her husband, urging him to improve their condition. She longed for more, resenting their humble life. The Arab, however, held a different perspective. He reminded his wife of the Prophet’s words: “Poverty is my glory.” He explained how their lack of material wealth was a better preparation for the inevitable journey into the afterlife than riches ever could be. Frustrated, he even threatened divorce if she persisted in her discontent. But wives have their ways. Through gentle persuasion and flattery, she softened her husband’s resolve. He promised to heed her wishes. She instructed him to travel to Baghdad and present their case to the Khalifa. Their humble offering would be a simple pot of water—the only gift they could afford. And so, the Arab embarked on his journey. He reached Baghdad and humbly l...

Once a certain merchant was used to keep a parrot in a cage. He decided to travel to Hindustan for business. He asked the parrot if he had any message to send to his kinsmen in that country, and parrot desired him to tell them that he was kept confined in a cage. The merchant promised to deliver this message, and on reaching Hindustan, duly delivered it to the first flock of parrots he saw. ON hearing it one of them at once fell down dead. The merchant was annoyed with his own parrot for having such a fatal message, and on his return home sharply rebuked his parrot for doing so. But the parrot no sooner head the merchant's tale than he too fell dead in the cage. The merchant, after lamenting his death, took his corpse out of the care and threw it away; but, to his surprise, the corpse immediately recovered life, and flew away, explaining that the Hindustani parrot had only feigned death to suggest his way of escaping from confinement in a cage.

Solomon, the wise prophet, held daily audiences during which he listened to this subjects' complaints and tried to address their problems. One morning, as he was listening to one person after another, a distraught man hurled himself into the great court. Solomon for being invited to the front of the queue, the man fell to his knees before the great benefactor. "What seems to be causing you such anguish, my dear fellow?" asked Solomon compassionately. "The Angel of Death, my lord! I saw him a minute ago as I was crossing the street. He glared at me with such disdain that y heart nearly stopped.!" "We all know that Azrael takes his orders only from God and never wavers in his duties," asserted the great prophet. "Now tell me, what would you have me to do?" "I beg of you, m life's in your hands. Please tell me the wind to carry me to India, where I'll be safe from the Angel's harm." Promptly Solomon ordered the East wind t...

Once there was a grocer who owned a handsome green parrot who sang sublimely and spoke most eloquently. The parrot was not only an ideal companion but also the perfect guard for the grocer's shop. One day when the grocer left the shop in the parrot's care , having gone home for lunch, a cat suddenly ran into the shop chasing a mouse, frightening the bird. As the parrot flew in hurry, he knocked a few bottles of almond oil off the shelves, breaking them and covering himself and the shop floor in oil. When the grocer returned and found the place in disarray, the floor slippery with oil and the parrot perching guiltily in a corner. The grocer lost his temper and hit the bird on the head with all his might. The poor bird could not bear it and shed all the feathers on his head. After this incident the parrot stopped talking and singing. The grocer realised that he made a mistake. He blamed himself. He lamented himself and said, "I wish I'd broken my hand!" , "How ...