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, Baghdaad. They are still alive. One of them is Shaad and the other one is Shaadee. Now Shaadee thought that nobody could 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 on on his daily wage only. Let us provide him with 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 knew 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 too 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 away. I went on working  but thought about 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.  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, a big bird came flying and surely would have taken that meat if I did not driven it off 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 about 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 the 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 that jar was? 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 stopped working and tried to hide myself in my house. 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

Contd on Next Page