72-1 - The
Will of Almighty Allaah:
The Story of Khwaajaa Hasan al-Habbaal
In
continuation from SECTION-4/Story
84/3.
Khwaajaa Hasan kissed the ground before the Caliph and said - "I will tell
you the whole story that my wealth is by the favor of Allaah only, and he
started telling his story .... "O
Lord, Now I will tell you how Destiny showered me with wealth; but first I
will tell you the story of two of my friends who lived in the House of
Peace, Bagadaad. They are still alive. One of them is Shaad and the other
one is Shaadee. Now Shaadee thought that nobody can be happy without wealth,
and it was impossible to be wealthy without troubles, labor and wisdom.
But Shaad was of different thoughts that prosperity comes only through Fate
and Fortune. Shaad was a poor man, while Shaadee had a great store of
wealth, yet they were good friends. They did not differ on any other
matter other than this one. Shaadee relied solely upon careful
consideration and forethought, and Shaad upon Fate.
It so
happened one day, that as they were talking together on this matter
Shaadee said - "A poor man is he who either is born pauper and passes
all his days in want; or having been born in wealth and comfort, loses all
he has and falls in grievous need, and then cannot regain it even by
wisdom or labor." Shaad said - "Nor wisdom, nor labor avails to
anyone, but Fate alone enables him to acquire and to preserve riches.
Misery and want are only accidents and careful consideration is not. Even
a fully rich man can be reduced to nothing and misery and beggary." Shaadee said - "You speak foolishly. We can put ourselves to test and
find out ourselves some handicraft man, who is scanty of means and living
upon on his daily wage only. Let us provide with him money and see what
happens."
Now as
they were talking, they passed through the lane in which I lived. They saw
me twisting ropes. They could know by my condition that I was a needy man,
so Shaad pointed towards me and said to Shaadee - "This man has been
living here for many years and has been in this rope-making trade for
generations. I know that his case is appropriate for our experiment, so
give him some gold pieces and test the matter." Shaadee got ready to
give me money for this purpose, he said - "But first let us have full
knowledge about him." So the
two friends came to me and Shaadee asked me - "What is your
name?" "My name is Hasan, but because of my trade people call me
Hasan al-Habbaal."
On
the 617th Night
Shaadee asked me - "How much do you make by
this profession? I think you seem to be quite content with its earnings.
Your ancestors must have left you much money earned by this
profession." I said - "I have no savings but I live happily with
my earnings. I work for the whole day and earn to feed me dry bread. I
have one wife and five children who are two young to help me. It is no
easy task to fulfill their daily needs."
Shaadee
said - "Now O Hasan, I want to give you 200 Asharfees hoping that
they will greatly add to your gains and will enable you to live more
comfortably. What do you say about it?" I said - "When you are
so kindly giving me so much money I hope to earn more from that money and
grow richer than before." So he took out a purse containing 200 gold
pieces and giving it to me said - "Take these coins and trade with
these. May Allaah grow you richer and richer. But see that you spend this
money with great care and waste it not in your foolishness. My friend
Shaad and I will be happy and satisfied to see you flourishing."
I took
the purse, thanked him, and the two friends went to north. I went on
working but thought that where I might put that money, because my
house did not have any cupboard or locker where I could put it. I went
home and hid that money in my turban and when I was alone, I took out 10
pieces from that money, went to market and bought some fiber to make ropes
and while coming home, I bought some meat also for our supper. It has been
quite a while that we had eaten meat. As I was taking meat in my hand that a
big bird came flying and surely had taken that meat if I did not driven
off the bird from my other hand. In this process, my turban fell on the
ground. The bird took that turban and flew away with it.
I was
very distressed to lose my Asharfees. I came home, I was feeling ashamed
that what Shaadee would say to it. However I greatly enjoyed the rest of
the money. When all the money was spent, I became as poor and as needy as
before, still I was thankful to Allaah. As He gave me the money unaware,
He took it also.
On
the 618th Night
My
wife did not know about this money at all. I was feeling ill. My neighbors
asked me about it, but I did not tell them anything, but when they pressed
me, I told them everything. Some believed me some not. My wife believed me
and wept for lost money.
Six
months passed. One day both friends came to my house when Shaad said to
Shaadee - "Here lives our Hasan, let us go to him and see how he is
doing." Shaadee said - "Sure. We will be happy if he has
prospered since then." So they both came to me and seeing me in the
same condition, Shaad said to Shaadee - "It seems that he is the
same, except that his turban seems newer and cleaner. Look and judge what
I said to you."
They
came to me and asked - "Hasan, How are you doing with that
money?" I said - "I am very ashamed for what happened to
me." and I told them the whole story as what had happened to me. Shaadee mistrusted me and cried - "O Hasan, You are joking. It is
hard to believe what you are telling. You must have spent that money in
pleasures." I also cried - "It is not so, O Good Lord. I am
innocent. To prove it true, all others should know about it. It is true that
birds do not fly away with turbans, but it truly happened in my case."
Shaad believed me and said to Shaadee - "Believe him , he might be
telling truth. Sometimes it happens."
Then
Shaadee pulled out another purse full of gold coins, counted 200 coins and
gave them to me - "Take these 200 Asharfees and expand your business
carefully. Do not lose them this time." I took the money from him and gave many
thanks to him. They went away, and I also returned to my work. Then I came
straight home. My wife and children were not at home, so I took 10 gold
coins out of the 200 coins, tied the remaining coins in a cloth. I looked
for a secret place where I could hide them. I saw an earthen pot in a
corner of the room, so I hid that rag in that pot considering it safe
there.
On
the 619th Night
When
my wife came home, I didn't tell her about my two friends. Then I left for
market to buy fiber to make ropes. Now as soon as I left home, unfortunate
as I was, a poor woman came to my wife as she did not have any money to
sell some clay (a material for washing hair). As my wife did not have that
clay also, so she thought to exchange that old jar with that clay. The
poor woman took that earthen jar in exchange of the clay.
When I
came back from the market with a load of fiber on my head and five other
loads on other people's heads, after keeping them at their place, I rested
on the floor. As I was laying, my eye went to that corner where the jar
was kept and I didn't see that jar there. I forgot to take rest, I jumped to my
feet and asked my wife where was that jar? And she replied that she had
exchanged it for the clay. I cried and cried aloud - "You have ruined
your children and me, you have given a great wealth to that
clay-seller." Then I told her about those two men and the money that
gave me and that I hid that money in that jar. She also wept and cried -
"Where can I find that clay-seller? I have never seen her
before."
Then
she told me that I acted foolishly not to tell her about the money, as if
I did not trust her. I told her not to make any display of this so that the
neighbors know what had happened to us. Moreover the 10 Asharfees were
enough to carry out my trade for a short time. I thought, if I told this
incident to those two men, they would again say that I was a liar.
One
day again, they came to my house talking to each other as usual. Seeing
them coming I left working and tried to hide myself in my house from them.
Seeing this they entered my house. I could not raise my eyes, as I was
very much ashamed. They asked me - "All is well with you? Did you
make good fortune out of that money?" I told them the whole story
again. "She asked me that why didn't I trust her and I told her that I kept
the money in the jar. Since you told me to keep the money with utmost
caution, I thought not to tell her about it lest she spends it on
household things. I appreciate your goodness, kindness and graciousness
but poverty is written in the Book of my Fate, then how can I prosperous
and possess something? Well, I will never forget your generosity."
Shaadee
said - "I have spent 400 Asharfees on you for no purpose, still we
want that you should prosperous, not that I claim your praise or
thanks." They consoled me and Shaad, whom I knew for many years, gave
me a lead coin which he picked up from the path and was still carrying in
his pocket. Showing it to Shaadee, he said to me - "Do you see this
piece of lead? Take it and by favor of Fate you will find out what
blessings it will bring to you." Shaadee laughed at this and making
jest of that piece he said - "What this piece of lead can bring to Hasan
and what it can do for him?" Shaad said - "Don't mind him. Keep
this coin with you. One day, hopefully, it will bring you
prosperity." So I took that piece of lead and put it in my pocket.
They also went their ways.
The
End of 619th Night
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