IT is well known that true prestige is shown by standing with the weak before the strong. When families fail to support the weak, they lose their strength. The same principle applies to nations. When a powerful country imposes its will on weaker ones, it is often condemned by the rest of the nations. Israel is a clear example of this, as it continues to exercise oppressive behavior toward several Arab nations. The following lines recount a story that reflects the true meaning of prestige: An Arab king once arrested a man from a distant tribe. In response, the tribe arrived in force with its sheikhs, princes, and knights, seeking to learn the man’s fate, offer a ransom, or intercede for him. The king looked at the large crowd and asked, “Who is this man for whom you have all come to intercede?” They replied in one voice, “He is our prince.” The king responded, “He neither introduced himself to me nor revealed his identity.” They answered, “He did not want to humiliate himself before you. Instead, he wanted you to see his worth through the eyes of his people.” The king immediately ordered the man’s release and offered an apology. However, a few days later, he received information revealing that the freed man was nothing more than a camel herder. Surprised, the king sent a messenger to the tribe seeking an explanation. The messenger returned with the tribe’s response, “There is no prince among us, and we are worth nothing if our shepherd is humiliated.” The moral of the story is that there is no benefit in a nation that abandons supporting the weak.
The imam tests the madman
An imam (mosque preacher) wanted to test a madman but ended up finding him more sane and wiser than the rest of the attendees. One day, the madman approached the imam while he was chatting with some guests. The imam brought a plate of dates and asked the madman to divide them among the guests. The madman looked at him and asked, “Should I distribute them the way people do, or the way God wants?” The imam replied, “Distribute them the way people do.” The madman took the plate of dates and gave each guest three dates. He then placed the remaining dates in front of the imam. The imam said, “Now, distribute the dates as God does.” The madman collected the dates and gave the first guest one date, the second a handful, the third none at all, and the fourth a lapful. The attendees laughed heartily at his behavior. Meanwhile, the madman wanted to convey that God’s wisdom is present in everything, and that the most beautiful thing in life is inequality. If God distributed wealth equally among people, money would lose its value. If God created all of mankind with equal health, no one would truly appreciate its worth. Knowledge would become meaningless if it were equally shared by everyone. The purpose of life is for people to complement one another. The problem is that our limited minds cannot fully grasp the wisdom of God Almighty.
An imam (mosque preacher) wanted to test a madman but ended up finding him more sane and wiser than the rest of the attendees. One day, the madman approached the imam while he was chatting with some guests. The imam brought a plate of dates and asked the madman to divide them among the guests. The madman looked at him and asked, “Should I distribute them the way people do, or the way God wants?” The imam replied, “Distribute them the way people do.” The madman took the plate of dates and gave each guest three dates. He then placed the remaining dates in front of the imam. The imam said, “Now, distribute the dates as God does.” The madman collected the dates and gave the first guest one date, the second a handful, the third none at all, and the fourth a lapful. The attendees laughed heartily at his behavior. Meanwhile, the madman wanted to convey that God’s wisdom is present in everything, and that the most beautiful thing in life is inequality. If God distributed wealth equally among people, money would lose its value. If God created all of mankind with equal health, no one would truly appreciate its worth. Knowledge would become meaningless if it were equally shared by everyone. The purpose of life is for people to complement one another. The problem is that our limited minds cannot fully grasp the wisdom of God Almighty.
Man regrets asking his wife about marriage
One night, while lying in bed with his wife, a man asked, “Do you know how many times Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (may God be pleased with him) got married and how many wives he had?” His wife looked at him firmly and said, “Before you even think about marriage, go and fight in half the battles Imam Ali fought. Afterward, I promise I will find the best bride for you.” The husband turned his face in regret but didn’t rest for long. The wife then added, “Rather, it is better if you go and liberate Jerusalem and expel the Jews, then come back and talk to me about marriage.” The husband felt he had opened a gate to hell and brought much trouble upon himself, and muttered, “I wish I hadn’t asked her.” However, his wife wasn’t finished. She turned to him again, sarcastically saying, “Imam Ali pulled open the strongly sealed door of the Khaybar Tribe with his bare hands, while you and your son couldn’t even open the bathroom door when he locked it on you.” The husband received no response, so he pulled back the blanket and coughed, muttering, “Oh my God, what a sharp-tongued woman.” However, his wife wasn’t finished yet. She adjusted her pillow and said calmly, “Imam Ali spent his nights in the desert praying devoutly until he fainted from fear of God, but you fainted just from seeing a mouse in the kitchen.” The husband said nothing. He just closed his eyes in surrender, wishing he had never asked his wife any questions.
One night, while lying in bed with his wife, a man asked, “Do you know how many times Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (may God be pleased with him) got married and how many wives he had?” His wife looked at him firmly and said, “Before you even think about marriage, go and fight in half the battles Imam Ali fought. Afterward, I promise I will find the best bride for you.” The husband turned his face in regret but didn’t rest for long. The wife then added, “Rather, it is better if you go and liberate Jerusalem and expel the Jews, then come back and talk to me about marriage.” The husband felt he had opened a gate to hell and brought much trouble upon himself, and muttered, “I wish I hadn’t asked her.” However, his wife wasn’t finished. She turned to him again, sarcastically saying, “Imam Ali pulled open the strongly sealed door of the Khaybar Tribe with his bare hands, while you and your son couldn’t even open the bathroom door when he locked it on you.” The husband received no response, so he pulled back the blanket and coughed, muttering, “Oh my God, what a sharp-tongued woman.” However, his wife wasn’t finished yet. She adjusted her pillow and said calmly, “Imam Ali spent his nights in the desert praying devoutly until he fainted from fear of God, but you fainted just from seeing a mouse in the kitchen.” The husband said nothing. He just closed his eyes in surrender, wishing he had never asked his wife any questions.
