| The Prophet's Gift
Whenever the Prophet's (p.b.u.h.) followers reaped their first harvest, they brought early, fresh fruits to him. Then he would distribute them among those who sat around him. One morning, a poor man brought one fruit from his small farm and gave it to the Prophet (p.b.u.h.).
The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) accepted the gift, tasted it and then went on eating it alone while the companions watched. One of those present meekly said:
"O Prophet of Allah, you have overlooked the right of those who watch while you eat?"
The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) smiled  and waited till the man who had brought the fruit had gone. Then he said:
"I tasted the fruit and it was not yet ripe. Had I allowed you to have some of it, someone would have definitely shown his distaste, thus disappointing the poor man who brought this gift.
Rather than make him feel bitter, I accepted the bitterness."
One late night Shaykh Bayazid Bustami was on his way home when he encountered a rowdy band of drunks on the street. One of them had a guitar and was playing it in a sloppy, annoying way. Bayazid wanted to avoid them but they were harassing everyone who passed by. As Bayazid walked by them, the leader of the bunch started insulting him in a very nasty way, calling him names and taunting him.
Bayazid told the man to stop his foolish talk but this made the drunken man even more angry.
The drunk picked up his guitar, lifted it high over his head and then brought it down, smashing it over Bayazid's head. The guitar shattered into a dozen pieces and blood streamed down Bayazid's forehead. The rest of the drunks paused for a minute and then started yelling and laughing again.
Bayazid didn't say a word and went home in silence, wiping the blood off his head with a handkerchief.
The next day, Bayazid gave a basket of candy and a few dollars to his servant and directed him to go to the leader of the drunks and tell him the following words:
"Last night my head was responsible for breaking your guitar. Please buy a new one with this money. And also I found that your tongue was very sour last night. Please remove the sourness of your tongue by eating these sweet candies."
When the drunken man received the gifts, he was so filled with shame and repentance that he brought his entire rowdy group to Bayazid and begged for forgiveness. He gave up drinking and became a righteous Muslim from that moment onward. ___________________________ A Poor Man At The Palace
Once a poor, unkempt man appeared at the gate of a king's palace. He was in rags and not at all suitably attired to be admitted into the presence of a monarch. So the guards stopped him.
"You cannot enter the palace in rags," they said.
The man insisted. He began to quarrel with the guards, raising his voice so loud that the king heard it."
He sent for the man.
When he appeared before the king, the noblemen around raised their eyebrows. What was this pauper doing here?
"What is your problem?", the king inquired.
"Oh, I have many problems. But the immediate one is that your guards refused me entry into the palace. Am I not your subject?"
"Yes, you are.....indeed, you are. But you must dress properly and suitably," the king said.
The poor man looked up and said, "O king, it is not wrong to enter a palace in rags and empty-handed. But to come out from a palace empty-handed and in rags is indeed a disgrace."
The Stranger
The poor woman was breathless as she was carrying the bagfull of water to her house. A stranger took the bag and carried it for her.
Her young children were awaiting mother's arrival. The door opened. They saw that a stranger, carrying water, entered their house along with the mother.
The stranger put the water down and asked her: "It seems that you don't have a husband to bring water. What happened?"
"My husband was a soldier. 'Ali ibn Abi Talib sent him to one of the borders and he was killed there. Now, here I am with these young children."
The stranger did not say anything else. He bent his head, said farewell and left. But he didn't forget, even for a moment, that woman and those children. He couldn't sleep that night. The next day, he carried a bag, full of meat, flour, and dates and went to her house. He knocked.
"Who is it?"
"That servant of God who carried water yesterday. I have brought some food for the children."
"May Allah be pleased with you."
The door opened and the stranger entered and said: "I wish to do some good deed. If you permit, I shall kneel and bake the bread, or babysit."
"Well. I am better at baking. Why don't you watch the kids till I finish."
The woman left to prepare the dough. The stranger cooked the meat he had brought and fed it and the dates to the children.
As he was putting a bite in their mouths, he was saying: "My child, forgive 'Ali ibn-e Abi Talib who has been neglectful of your rights."
When the woman had mixed the flour, she called: "O' servant of Allah. Put the fire in the oven."
The stranger put fire in the oven, and brought his face close to the flames: "Feel this fire. This is the punishment of one who neglects orphans and widows."
At this time, a woman from the neighbourhood walked in and recognized the stranger. She told the woman: "Woe unto you. Do you know that it is Ameer al Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn-e Abi Talib who is helping you?"
The woman approached him: "Shame unto me. Please forgive me."
"I should ask for forgiveness from you. I have neglected your right."
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"I have been sent with the shortest expressions bearing the widest meanings."
~ Prophet Muhammad.
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