The padishah celebrated his birthday. Notable guests with gifts came from the most distant lands for the holiday. And there were no ambassadors. Everyone entered, gave their gift and sat down in an empty seat.
In the tent, veshya (dancers and singers pleasing men) sang and music played. The padishah was delighted with how the palace was decorated. He was very proud of the talents of all his courtiers. Akbar believed that in the whole world there was no such smart wazir as his Birbal.
Many fakirs and maulavis (Muslim scholars and theologians) gathered in the darbar - Akbar ordered them to be fed and generously given today. The main pir (spiritual mentor for Muslims, saint) of the padishah also appeared. The padishah greeted him with honor and rich gifts.
There was joy in the palace. Everywhere you look, everyone is rejoicing and praising the padishah. Looking around the darbar, Birbal chuckled. The padishah noticed this and, when everyone left, asked:
- Birbal! What do you think: is the feast great or is faith?
- Of course, great is faith, ruler of the world!
- I think not! It happens that faith is more important, but if there were no feasts, how could faith exist?
“No, Shahinshah, faith is more important than a feast,” Birbal insisted.
“What you say is wrong, Birbal,” the padishah objected with annoyance, “after all, people honor pirs and that’s enough.”
— Faith in the pirs, of course, bears fruit. We Hindus make sacrifices to statues of gods, but we do not receive reward from them, but from the gods, for this we worship their images.
The padishah did not like this reasoning. He got angry.
- These are all words! Can you prove that faith is more important than a feast?
- Can.
- Prove it now.
- Lord of the world! This is not an easy matter, I need time for this.
- Okay, I’ll give you a month, but remember: if during this time you don’t prove that you’re right, say goodbye to your head.
- Agree.
When taking on a task, Birbal always thought through and weighed everything in advance. When five days passed and he saw that the padishah was preoccupied with important matters and forgot about their dispute, he quietly took the padishah’s shoe, wrapped it in a shawl and took it out of the palace. Coming out of the city, he buried the bundle in a remote place. And he poured a mound of earth on top and placed three stones so that it looked like a grave.
Then he hired a mullah and ordered him to pray at the grave and accept offerings from believers. Birbal ordered the mullah to say that this was the grave of Pir Yaqinshah (Yakin (Arabic) - faith), and to glorify the holy life of the deceased in every possible way.
The mullah invented and told various fables about the miraculous power of Yakinshah's feast. Little by little, rumors about the saint spread throughout the city. The people flocked to the saint’s grave - they carried gifts, prayed, made vows and oaths. So, “by God’s grace,” the desert came to life.
Soon the news about Saint Yakinshah reached the padishah. As usual, they made an elephant out of a molehill. The courtiers described unprecedented miracles that Pir Yakishnah supposedly performs even after death, and others even agreed to the following: “When your Majesty was a child, your father Humayun also revered this holy Pir. And by the grace of Yaqinshah, success came to him in his great deeds.”
The padishah believed them and promised himself to visit the holy grave and honor the memory of the great feast.
And then one day Akbar remembered his decision, took with him several favorites from among the courtiers and went to the grave of the feast.
And there were crowds of people there all the time. There is a small market nearby. The padishah liked this place. He and the courtiers bowed low to the grave of Yaqinshah. Birbal stood nearby, remained silent and did not bow.
- Everyone bows low to the grave of the feast, and you? It would be more decent to bow to you too,” the padishah said sternly.
“I’m ready to bow, but if you admit that I’m right and say that faith is more important than a feast.”
The padishah furrowed his eyebrows.
“I will repeat now that the feast is above faith, and in your presence I make a vow: if I defeat Pratap Singh, I will order the grave to be covered with an expensive carpet, gifts of sweets to be brought, and the mullahs and fakirs to be treated here.”
At this time, a messenger rushed up, jumped off his horse, bowed to the padishah and reported:
- Your Majesty! Prince Salim ordered the message: “Raja of Mewar Pratap Singh has been defeated on the battlefield, and it is hoped that he will soon become our vassal.”
The padishah was beside himself with joy. Wanting to shame Birbal, he cried out:
- So, will you continue to insist that faith is more important than a feast? Look, I just had time to make a vow at the grave, and then the happy news came! Well, speak up!
- Lord of the world! If you did not have faith, you would not have made a vow to the feast. Faith is the most important thing.
- Leave your tricks, now they are of no use. Since you couldn’t prove that you were right, then prepare for death,” the padishah said sternly.
- Your Majesty! I just don’t understand what is my fault?!
These words completely angered the padishah. He frowned and said even more sternly:
- So that’s how you are! It is not pride in you, but death itself speaks. Call the executioner here immediately!
Birbal saw that the padishah was furious, and if he, Birbal, did not stop trying to get out and play for time, Akbar, perhaps, would not contain his anger, and then there would be trouble. Birbal turned his face towards the grave, folded his hands and said respectfully:
- About Yakinsha! If I remain alive today, I will bring sweets to your grave as a gift and build a beautiful mausoleum.
Hearing this vow, the padishah grinned:
- Well, Birbal, he finally came to his senses! I had to make a vow too.
- Certainly! “I had to ask for the protection of the holy feast,” Birbal assented.
He called all the courtiers, removed the stones from the hillock, scattered the earth and took out a bundle. The surprised padishah, looking at Birbal with all his eyes, asked:
- What are you doing?
- Lord of the world! Here is your feast Yaqinshah. It was to him that you made your vows,” Birbal said and unwrapped the package.
Imagine the padishah’s amazement when he recognized his shoe.
- Patron of the poor! Now tell me what is more important: faith or feast? - Birbal asked and answered himself: - Our inner faith is what matters. If there is no faith, then vows are useless. You will also have to admit that the main thing is faith.
And the padishah had to agree with Birbal and surrender to his wisdom.
The fame of Yakinshah had already spread far, and a lot of money flowed into his grave. And Birbal ordered to build a mosque on this very place.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru