The closest friend of the great conqueror Mahmud, the destroyer of idols, the ruler of Ghazni, was the slave Ayaz. He first appeared at court as a poor slave, but Mahmud made him his advisor and friend. The rest of the courtiers were jealous of Ayaz and watched his every move, so that, if necessary, they would catch him in some kind of mistake and throw him into disgrace.
One day these jealous people came to Mahmud and said:
- O shade of Allah on earth! Know that, while tirelessly serving you, we did not take our eyes off your slave Ayaz and this is what we noticed. Every day, leaving the yard, Ayaz goes into a tiny room where no one else enters. He remains there for some time and only then goes to his chambers. We suspect that this custom of his indicates secret treachery. It is even possible that he is communicating with conspirators who are plotting against Your Majesty, encroaching on your life.
For a long time, Mahmud did not want to hear any fabrications directed against Ayaz. And yet the mystery of the locked room haunted him. In the end, he felt that he absolutely had to find out everything about her.
And then one day, when Ayaz was leaving his room, Mahmud appeared, surrounded by courtiers, and demanded to show him what was inside.
“No,” said Ayaz.
“If you don’t allow me to enter the room, all my trust in you as a reliable and loyal person will disappear irrevocably.” Choose,” said the cruel conqueror.
Ayaz burst into tears and opened the door. There was almost nothing inside. All that was there was a hook on the wall. On a hook hung a worn cloak, covered in patches, a staff and a begging bowl.
Mahmud and his retinue were taken aback, perplexed. Mahmud demanded an explanation, and Ayaz said:
“For many years I was a slave, a friend, and an adviser for you. I tried to never forget where I started, and to do this, I came here every day to remind myself of who I am. All of me is yours, but this is all that is mine: rags, staff, cup and wanderings across the face of the earth.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru