Recollections from the sohbets of Shaikh Nazim al Haqqani al Qibrisi of Turkey
A poor man in a drought-stricken village was digging a well when he struck a large container. He opened it and was astonished to discover that it was an ancient treasure, full of gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds and other jewels. There was also a note on a deerskin scroll.
Soon, news about the treasure spread through the village and people gathered around the well. They were awed by the treasure and were intrigued by the scroll. But no one knew how to read the ancient script. They called the village teacher, a man of learning who was trained in ancient texts.
The village teacher opened the scroll and read aloud:
“I am the king of this land and I am leaving behind this writing to warn those who come after me. My land was prosperous with plentiful rain and crops in abundance. My merchants travelled far and wide selling our goods and brought back troves of gold and jewels.
Then, the rains failed. And they failed again. And again, until my land that was a veritable garden turned into a dust bowl. The grain was exhausted and people had nothing to eat. So they came to me beseeching me to find them food.
I called my courtiers, gave them purses of gold and ordered them to buy food wherever they could find it. After several days they came back and reported that there was no food to buy anywhere.
So, I opened my treasury. This time, I sent my courtiers with baskets-full of jewels and ordered them to find food, no matter what the price was. They went far and wide on horseback but they all returned empty-handed; there was no food anywhere in the land.
The granaries in the palace were also exhausted and my household felt the pangs of hunger that afflicted my subjects. We ran out of water and we were thirsty. My servants felt pity for me and searched for water in every nook of the forest. Finally, one of them came back with a pale of dirty water he had found under a rock. I drank the water and I fell sick. Now I am dying.
I have ordered my scribe to write my story on deerskin and place it along with my treasures in a container so that generations to come may learn from my experience. Food is a gift from God and only from God. All the treasures of the world cannot grow one single grain of wheat. Be conscious of His blessings and be thankful for every grain that reaches you. Never consume a grain until you invoke His Beautiful Name and partake of its boundless power…..Bismillah ir Rahman ir Rahim (In the Name of God Most Gracious Most Merciful).”