The Sufi and the Thief

A wandering Sufi arrived at a village late one night. "How will I find food or shelter?" he wondered.
Then he saw a thief trying to break into a house.
"Do you know where I can get help?" he asked.
"I can help you, if you'll accept help from a thief."
The thief was a good and kind host, but a terrible thief. He failed in his break-ins every night, yet never lost hope. "Perhaps I'll succeed tomorrow, God willing."
The Sufi stayed with the thief for a month, and from the thief, he learned hope.
Everyone is your teacher.


Inspired byThe Little Book of Sufi Parables by Nico Neruda
Notes: This is story 30 in the book. This story is presented as a deathbed story: the Sufi Hassan is dying, and someone asks who his master was. He says he had thousands of masters, and tells stories about a thief, a dog, and a small child.

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