Moses could not hold back his anger and exclaimed in horror: “You miserable, pitiful man! What's this nonsense you're spitting out? I'm Moses, your prophet, and I'm telling you to shut your disdainful mouth this instant. The Creator has no worldly limbs; shoes are for those who need them, milk is for someone who's still growing! Your praise makes no sense, so stop it before your life is forever cursed!”

  Astounded and ashamed, the shepherd sighed: “Oh, Moses, you've sewn my lips together! I repent and wish that my life could be set on eternal fire this very minute!”

  He then stood up, ripped open his shirt, threw it to the wind, and sobbed desperately into the desert. Soon after this encounter, Moses felt a heavy slumber descend upon him, sending him into a deep sleep, where he had a revelation:

  “Moses, what have you done?” Moses immediately recognized the undeniable sound of God's voice. “You've alienated my faithful servant from me! Did I send you as my prophet to unite me with my people or to sever me from them? I've allowed everyone their own way of worshipping, their own form of expression. I have no need of their prayers, but they do. What may seem like poison to you could be honey to someone else. I don't look at what my people say outwardly, I only see what's inside their hearts. I want to see the burning of love! So light up the fire of love in your soul and banish your unhelpful thoughts once and for all!”

  Hearing God's words, the treacle of His wisdom was implanted in Moses's soul, opening his eyes to secrets unknown to him before and convincing him to always look beyond the superficial. A few moments later, he was heading into the desert on the trail of the shepherd, agonizing over his harsh and unkind words to the poor man. It didn't take long to find the shepherd's footsteps, for they were distinctly different from an ordinary man's. In places he'd been dragging his feet, and soon after that he'd been limping, then sidestepping and stepping backward, even crawling at times, all indicative of his tumultuous state of mind. In due time, Moses spotted the shepherd in the distance and carefully approached him, speaking softly:

  “My dear shepherd, you've been blessed by God Almighty himself! He has reproached me for speaking to you so abrasively. He wants you to pray in any way you prefer. In fact, God adores your simple words that come directly from your heart. You may continue in the same manner that you've always prayed, and God wants you to know that He's absolutely content with you.”

  The shepherd raised his face to Moses. He was not the same man anymore; his eyes did not belong to this world, and his voice rose from a more profound depth.

  “Moses, I've gone beyond your hollow words; I'm mad in my soul. I've traveled past the earth and the sky, a thousand years beyond! You brought down your whip on my very being, hurling me into worlds beyond my dreams. Praise be to your whipping arm, which laid such a blow and roused me to my own truth. I can't explain who or what I am anymore; all I know is that I'm sailing away, but where to, I cannot tell.”

  The shepherd said goodbye respectfully, turned his back to Moses, and staggered away, traveling deeper into the desert until he became invisible.

  Friendship with a Bear

  The mountains in the northern part of Persia were rampant with large brown bears who roamed the vast region and hardly ever had to defend themselves against any predators. There was, however, one extraordinary beast that the locals had never set eyes upon called a dragon, which could easily kill and devour the bears.

  A hunter from the central part of the country went to the mountains in the north in search of prey, but he knew nothing about the legendary dragon. As he pitched his tent and prepared a fire to keep himself warm overnight, he hummed his favorite melody, excited about his anticipated morning hunt. All of a sudden, he heard the excruciating cry of a beast and the piercing roar of some other creature that he had never heard before. His curiosity was aroused, and he picked up his bow and arrow and swiftly but carefully approached the scene of the fight.

  Right there before him was the elusive dragon with fire coming out of his mouth as he flashed his huge sharp teeth at an enormous bear, the latter standing on his hind legs preparing for the imminent fight. The hunter wasted no time, aiming straight between the dragon's eyes and shooting him on the spot. Down fell the dragon with the most hideous sound thundering from his fiery mouth. The bear, looking upon the scene in disbelief, was stunned. He turned to the hunter and gazed at him for a while before lowering himself onto all fours and slowly swaggering over to him.

  At first, the hunter was alarmed that the bear might attack him, but his fears were eased as the huge animal sat before his savior's feet, resting his head on his paws. It seemed to the hunter that the animal was demonstrating gratitude in his own way, and he was relieved. As he turned around to walk back to his tent, the bear got up and quietly began to follow him.

  From that day on, the bear never left the hunter's side, and the hunter gradually became accustomed to his presence. The two became odd companions, much to the surprise of everyone who saw them together. Often, people would warn the hunter that to befriend an ignorant beast was dangerous, even worse than making friends with a human enemy. The hunter, though, never heeded their advice, believing that his advisers were all jealous of his friendship with the glorious bear. Soon, everyone stopped giving him advice, leaving the hunter to his own devices.

  One glorious morning, the huntsman decided to take advantage of the good weather and go hunting. The two companions traversed a variety of mountain paths in search of a worthy prey, but they were unlucky and still empty-handed after many hours of aimless pursuit. The hunter grew weary and decided to take a short nap in the shade of a tree. The bear had learned to obediently sit by his side and guard him and his bow and arrows until he awoke.

  As the hunter slept deeply, dreaming of beautiful long summer days, a fly began to circle above his head, buzzing noisily. The hunter waved at the fly in his sleep, tossing and turning, but the fly would not relent. The bear, whose one and only aim in life had become the constant care of his master-companion, couldn't succeed in waving off the fly either, and he became frustrated and impatient. The fly's incessant buzzing would not quiet down, adding to the bear's exasperation. In one great swoop the bear finally picked up the nearest rock that he could hold in his front paws and, as the fly alit on the hunter's forehead, slammed it onto the insect, crushing the hunter's skull along with the fly in one swift motion.

  Such is the result of keeping company with the ignorant, albeit with the best of intentions.

  Two Different Birds Flying Together

  A physician regularly walked home through a field every evening after he had finished his house calls. His home lay underneath the path of migratory birds who spanned the sky while they flew to their respective destinations. He loved birds and often watched them closely when they flew overhead, trying always to observe their migrations.

  Late one afternoon, the physician was tired after a long day but insisted on walking home rather than accepting a ride from a patient's son. As he strolled through the green countryside, he caught sight of two birds who were flying rather low, as if separated from their flock. They looked unusual, not the common birds who normally flew overhead at this time of year. He became curious and focused closely on this pair of birds.

  They looked odd flying together for sure, because they were two different breeds! The physician had never seen anything like it and, after positively identifying the species, thought the matter through. He wondered to himself, how is it possible for the heavenly goshawk to fly with the earthbound owl? Why would a bird who belongs in Paradise accompany a bird who essentially belongs among the ruins of the earth?

  Soon, the birds began to descend, preparing to land not far from where the physician had stopped to watch them. As they landed and began to hop toward what might have been a cluster of worms on the ground, the physician noticed that both birds were limping!

  He had wondered how it was possible for two completely dissimilar birds to become companions, and now he had his answer: they were both lame in one leg, and that had become their binding factor! The poor goshawk, having suffered what appeared to have been a nearly fatal injury, had stooped to the level of the graveyard owl, abandoning his former majesty.

  The Prophet Visits a Sick Man

  An old acquaintance of the prophet Mohammad was taken ill. Unable to eat, he had lost a great deal of weight and become an invalid. When the prophet heard about his old friend's pitiful state, he decided to pay him a visit. As he walked into the sick man's room, he realized that the old man's days were numbered and that in fact he was nearing his end quite rapidly. Thus, he paid his friend much attention and tried to soothe his pain with kind words. The old man was so thrilled and grateful to see the prophet sitting beside him that he felt like he'd been gifted a new lease on life.

  “My illness has brought me this unbelievable fortune!” he uttered feebly. “The prophet himself has come to pay me a visit! What an auspicious morning! How grateful I am for all my pains and aches, for they have brought the prophet to my side! God has bestowed me my wish in my old age. He has given me such a backache that I can't sleep at night from the pain, but this is no torture; it's in fact my treasure! My prayers have been answered before my death.”

  The prophet was puzzled when he heard the old man praying for pain.

  “Old friend, from your words I can tell that you have been praying erroneously. You may have thought that you're asking God for sweet kindnesses, but in fact your wrong words have brought you much misfortune! It sounds like, instead of praying for a long, healthy life you've been begging for poisoned meals. Which prayer did you utter?”

  “I can hardly remember, I'm in such agony,” moaned the poor man. “But wait, being in your presence, my mind's beginning to clear a bit,” he said weakly. “I felt guilty for many sins I'd committed and was frightened of God's punishment. I had no patience and felt unworthy to even begin to repent. Like a drowning man, I reached out to anything I could grab to keep afloat. I prayed that He would inflict all the tortures of hell upon me while I'm still alive so that once I pass into the next world I can finally find peace. Now I'm riddled with such pain and suffering that I can't even remember any prayers, let alone what my sins were! Your kind visit has meant a great deal to me, and your words of comfort have brought me much joy. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

  The prophet looked at the man with great sorrow: “Be aware, and never again repeat such a prayer! Why would you want to cut off your roots with your own hands? You're no more than a minuscule, weak ant scurrying across the great scheme of life. Why would you invite the weight of a mountain to crush your back?” retorted the prophet.

  “I repent, great prophet; I will never try to outsmart anyone again.”

  “When you pray to God, ask for an easier life to endure, not one that's more difficult than you can bear. Ask God for only goodness in this life, and in the next! Ask that your path cross through gardens lush with flowers guiding your way back to Allah, who should be your ultimate destination.”

  The prophet took leave after a few more minutes, knowing that the old man did not have much longer to live and wishing him a departure to a world that would be easier than the one he had conjured for himself on earth.

  The Clown and the Prostitute

  A member of the ruling family of the town of Termez had befriended a clown many years earlier. The two men had a compatible relationship, untarnished by the years. The clown made the older man laugh every time they saw each other, and the wealthy man in turn made sure that the clown was well provided for.

  One day when they were alone, the older man, who had heard that the clown had recently got married to a woman of low standing and was baffled by this turn of events, asked him: “My old friend, there are many well-respected women in our community whom I know personally. Why didn't you tell me to ask for the hand of one of them for you? Why did you rush into such an important decision and marry a disreputable woman?”

  “Sir, you must know that I have already married nine reputable women!” he said to his caring companion, trying not to grin too widely. “You may have also noticed that not a single one of them remained faithful to me, and I had to divorce every single one! My heart was shattered each time, and I couldn't tolerate another cheating wife. So I decided to marry an already disgraced woman, without even knowing her, and take a chance on life. I've already tried my luck using my mind and my reasoning power; this time I'm trying out madness instead!”

  The Wise Madman

  A young man had determined that it was time to get married, but he was not entirely sure about his decision. Because he did not wish to make a grave mistake, knowing that the choice of a bride was probably the most important decision of one's life, he decided to consult with someone wiser than himself. He searched the entire town and asked everyone he knew until finally someone told him: “In our town, there's only one wise person, and he's the old man who plays with children!”

  It didn't take long to find the wise man; in fact, it would be hard to miss him. There, in the middle of the town's main square, he spent his days chasing a group of young children while riding a long bamboo stick, pretending that it was his wild and unruly horse. When the young man spotted him from a distance, he took note that he'd better approach the man carefully. “Hello, great horseman, would you please veer your horse toward me for a minute?” he implored desperately.

  “Be swift and state your business,” the man replied in a formal tone. “As you can see, my horse is wild and fierce and will kick you if you make a silly move,” he warned.

  “I wish to get married but am inexperienced and need advice. What can you tell me about women? Which woman would be the best choice for me?” he asked humbly, not sure if he was actually going to get a decent answer.

  “There are three kinds of women in the world,” replied the horseman knowledgeably. “Two are great treasures indeed, but the third kind is the greatest of treasures both in this world and the next.”

  The young man was grateful but confused. “Would you mind expounding on your theories?” he asked politely.

  “I will start with the first type, who will be entirely yours all your life; while the second type of woman will be yours only partially; and the third type will not belong to you at all! Now, move away before my horse kicks your shin and lames you,” declared the old man as he turned his bamboo horse toward the children and began to gallop away.

  “Please wait,” implored the young man, still confounded. “Now that you've shared your invaluable wisdom, please tell me, what do you mean exactly?”

  The horseman pulled his bridle and turned to face the inquirer. “All right, let me tell you clearly once and for all. The woman whose heart will be yours but only halfway is the widow. Although childless, she'll always hold onto the fond memories of her late husband. There's another type of woman who will never share her heart with you, and she's the widow with children. Every time she looks at them, she'll be reminded of the love she shared with their father. Undoubtedly the best woman of all, whose heart will be yours forever, is the woman who has never shared it with anyone before you. Now get out of my way before my horse knocks you out.”

  “Dear old man, I have one last question to ask. May I?”

  “Go on then,” he replied, a little annoyed.

  “Your wisdom is unrivalled; why do you pretend to madness?”

  “The townsmen wished to select me as their supreme judge, but I refused time and time again,” he confessed. “Nevertheless, they insisted that there was no other wise man in town whom they could trust. They wouldn't leave me alone; therefore, I had no choice but to pretend that I'd lost my mind. Inside, though, I'm still the same. My mind is my spiritual treasure, and I'll never share it with the common folk!”

  Having imparted his precious secret, the wise madman rode toward the gang of boys, who were impatient to continue their unfinished battle.

  The Night Watchmen and the Drunk

  It was past midnight, and the night watchmen were patrolling the neighborhood when they came across a drunk leaning up against a wall. One of them walked up to the man, patted him on the shoulder, and screamed in his ear: “Hey! Are you drunk? Tell me, quick, what have you been drinking?”

  “Whatever was in that bottle over there,” the drunk said, pointing to an empty bottle that had rolled away to the side.

  “What was in the bottle? You know that alcohol is illegal in this town,” yelled the watchman again.

  “I drank what was in the bottle, officer,” replied the drunk, slurring his words.

  “I don't see anything in the bottle; tell me, quickly, what did you drink?”

  “What was in the bottle, I told you.”

  The watchman realized that he was chasing his own tail and that conversation with this man would be useless. He decided that if he wanted to arrest the drunkard, he must try another approach.

  “Open your mouth and say ah,” he ordered the drunk, by now half asleep, hoping to smell the alcohol on his breath.

  “Hu!”3 sighed the drunken man happily.

  “I ordered you to say ah and you blurt out Hu?” snapped the angry guard.

  “I'm ecstatic, why should I say ah? Ah is a sound for sad people like you who've allowed their backs to get bent in two. People like me are always happy, and that's where my Hu comes from!”

  “Don't try to get out of this mess with your stupid rhetoric. I'm not buying any of your false spirituality. No more arguing; stand up!” he ordered with authority, knowing well that if he didn't act fast he would soon be outmaneuvered.

  “That's all right, you can go now; I'm done here,” said the drunk.

  “I told you to get up! You're drunk, and I must take you in.”