Rabia was ready to break a long fast with milk, but a cat spilled the milk.
Rabia then reached for a water-jug, but her hands shook and she dropped the jug.
"Is this my reward, O God?" she cried.
"If you want, you can have all the world's gifts," God replied, "or you can have what I give you."
"Give me your gifts, O God!" Rabia exclaimed.
A fruit-tree then sprang up inside the house. "This is the tree in Paradise with the fruit of your prayers. Eat!" said God.
Rabia ate, and she knew God was always with her.
Inspired by: Sufi Stories from Around the World by Debjani Chatterjee
Notes: This is story 18 in the book. You can read more about Rabia of Basra at Wikipedia.
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