Sufi parable from Attar A rich young man who lived during the time of Jesus fell in love with a girl who happened to meet him on the way and married her. The girl was missing one arm, and she was ashamed of the young man. God heard her prayer and restored her hand.
When the couple returned home, one day at dinner they heard the voice of a dervish. The wife took two pieces of bread and wanted to give them to the beggar, but her husband did not allow her. She thought he was stingy and began to cry. But he said:
“That’s not enough, give him a full plate.”
She looked at the beggar and saw that this was her first husband, who had become a beggar out of stinginess. Then she told the young man her story.
Her first husband was extremely stingy. One day, when he was not at home, she gave the beggar a chicken, in which she hid a valuable ring. Upon returning, her husband was very angry, divorced her and expelled her from the city, cutting off her hand.
Then the young man began to cry and said that he was the beggar - the ring gave him wealth.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru