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66-1 - Alee
the Cairene and the Haunted House in Bagadaad
Once
there lived a merchant, in the city of Cairo. He had lots of merchandise -
money, bullion, gems, jewels, land, houses etc. His name was Hasan the
Jeweler, the Bagadaad man. He had a handsome son also who he named Alee of
Cairo. He had taught him Quraan and science and polite education till he
be came proficient in all kinds of knowledge. After a while Hasan fell
sick and when he knew that he wouldn't survive, he called his son Alee -
"My son, Everybody has to go, and I am also at the point of my death,
but before I die, I want to say you something. If you observe it Allaah will
abide you safety and prosperity; but if you will not you might have to
suffer."
Alee
said - "How can I go against you words. I am bound to you by the law
of faith to obey you." His father said - "I am leaving you many
lands, houses and much wealth past count. Even if you spend 500 Deenaars each
day, you will not miss it. But you must follow Allaah, as what He has
bidden and what he has forbidden in His traditional law. You should always
give some alms, do good to others, and be with pious and good people. Make
sure that you look for poor and needy and stop avarice and meanness. Be
kind to your servants and family and also upon your wife because she is
the daughters of the Great and is the mother of your child. Hopefully she
will be blessed by a virtuous issue." At this his son wept
considering these words as his father's last words. His father said -
"Yes, I will be gong soon, but keep it in my mind what I have said to
you." And he departed.
Alee
got very grieved. He performed his last ceremony very splendidly. He
prayed for him for 40 days as was their custom. But he grieved for his father
for more than normal period, so his friends asked him - "For how long
you will be mourning him like this and neglecting your business? This is the law of
this world, that who comes, he has to go. So be calm now and get busy in
you work."
Now
when they came to him to console, Iblis the Genie was with them and he
prompted them to ask him to go to Bazaar, and tempted Alee to say
"Yes". So he left the house, mounted on his she-mule and
followed his friends to a garden where they said that he would be happy
there. A slave also went with him. One of them cooked the morning meal
there and brought it to them to eat. So they all ate and talked till evening
and then went back to their houses where they slept. Next day his friends
took him again to some other garden. There also, one one of them cooked
morning meal and brought it to all with wine to eat. Alee seeing the wine
he asked
them "What is this?" They said - "It dispels grief and
gives happiness." They persuaded him till he drank it. Again they
enjoyed there till evening and then came back home to sleep.
Alee
felt giddy after drinking wine. So when he went to his wife, his wife
asked - "Why are you changed today?" He told her that his
friends made him drink wine that is why he was feeling giddy. She
requested him not to forget his father's words. He replied - "They
are merchants' sons, they are not the people to suspect." And he
continued to lead the life with his friends, day after day, going to
places to places, feasting with them and drinking, till they said -
"Our turn is over, now it is your turn." So next day he took all
the things necessary for enjoyment - cooks, tents, coffee-makers, etc, to
Al-Razaa and the Neelometer where they lived for the whole month.
At the
end of the month, Alee found that he had already spent a lot of money, but
Iblis the Genie misled him that even if he spent 500 Deenaars everyday then
also he wouldn't miss it. So he took no account of his money and continued
his life thus for three years. His wife had been reminding him of his
father's advice, but he did not hear her words at all. He had sold his all
properties, and then came to sell his jewels and spending their price
until they were all gone. Then he sold his houses, gardens, fields, farms
etc one after the other till they all were gone except the house in which
he lived. Then he started selling out the marble and woodwork tearing out
from his own house and spending all money from their proceeds till his
house was also sold.
When
the man who bought the house, came to take charge of it, he came out of
the house with his wife and a son and a daughter, hired a large room in
one of the low people's locality and lived there. Now he longed for one
day's bread. His wife said - "I told you before but you did not
listen to me about your father's advice. Now what our children will eat? Go to
you friends, the sons of merchants, and they will give you something so
that we can eat it today." He went to his friends but none gave him
anything.
Then
she went to her neighbors. She asked - "What has happened to
you?" Then she told her everything what had happened to her husband.
The neighbor said - "You can take whatever you need without
price." She blessed her with prosperity and she gave her the
provision which could last for one full month. When her husband saw her,
he wept and asked - "When did you have it?" She replied -
"I got it from such and such woman. She did not fail me and gave this
and asked even to take more if I needed more." Alee said - "I have
a place in mind, where I will go and hopefully it will bring us
relief."
So he
took leave of her, kissed his children and went out not knowing where to
go. He walked till he came to Bulaq where he saw a ship about to sail for
Dameettaa. Here he met a man who was a friend of his father, he asked him -
"Where to?" Alee said - "To Dameettaa. I have friends there,
I will visit them and come back." The man took him home, gave him
tips for voyage and some gold pieces also. When Alee reached Dameettaa, he
just wandered around on its streets. One merchant saw him, took pity on
him and took him to his house. He stayed there for a few days then he
thought "For how long I will be staying like this?"
So he
left the merchant's home and went to the port again where he found a ship
ready to sail to Syria. That merchant gave him some provision for the way and he
embarked on the ship till he reached Damascus. As he walked through the
streets, a kind man saw him and took him to his house where he stayed for
some time till one day he saw a caravan about to leave for Bagadaad, so he
took leave from his host and set out for Bagadaad. On his way, a merchant
took him along and Alee ate and drank with him. On the way, just one day
before reaching Bagadaad, highway robbers attacked the caravan and took
all they had; but a few merchants escaped.
This
even compelled them to go separately, but Alee went to Bagadaad and
reached there in the evening. The gatekeepers let him in, shut the doors
and asked him where he had to go. He said - "I am from Cairo. I had
mules with merchandise and slaves and servants. I went forward to look for
a place to live and keep my goods; but as I rode a team of bandit fell
upon me, took my mule, and I just escaped." So they treated him with
honor, took him to their home saying that they would look for a place for
him in the morning.
Then
he gave a Deenaar (from Bulaq) to them and asked to arrange food for all.
The man brought the food and all ate it. Next morning, one of them took him to
a merchant and told him the same story Alee told him. He believed him, so
he took him to his shop, gave him a bath and his own suit to wear. Alee
said - "Then he took me to his house where he gave me morning meal.
Then he said to one of his black slaves and said to him - "Hey Masood,
Take this my guest, show him the two houses and give him the key of
whichever he likes and come back." He took me and came to a street
where stood three houses side by side, newly built and yet locked. He
opened the first one, I looked at it; then he opened the second one and
asked me - "Which one do you like?"
I
pointed out the third house and asked him - "To whom this big house belong to?" "To
us." "Open it, so that I can see it." "You have no
business there." "Why?" "Because it is haunted and
none can pass even a night here, who does he is dead in the morning. We don't even open
the door to remove the corpse, but go to the terrace of one of the other
two houses and take a look from there. That is why my master has abandoned this
house and said - "I will never give this house to anyone." I
said - "Open it." I thought that I will pass the night here, I
will die here and will be at peace." He opened it and I found it
splendid. I asked him to give the key of that house.
He
said - "I cannot give the key of this house to you unless I ask my
master." "Then go and ask him." He went to the merchant and told him that the Cairo trader
wanted this house only. He said to Alee - "You will not have this
house." "But I will live in this house only, because I don't
care for what people say." The merchant asked to write an agreement
that "If something happens to you here, I am not responsible."
Alee said "Fine." He gave this agreement to Qaazee and
handed over the key of that house and a bedding to sleep there and walked
away.
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