Tiny Tales: Traditional Stories in 100 Words: Islam

Showing posts with label Islam. Show all posts

~ 1. A Handful of Dust ~

Laura Gibbs · 1. A Handful of Dust

God told Gabriel, "Fetch me a handful of Earth's dust."

"No!" said Earth. She didn't want God to create Adam.

God sent Michael. Earth refused.

Then Seraphiel. Earth refused.

Finally, God sent Azrael.

"I cannot fail to accomplish God's command," Azrael said to Earth.

They debated back and forth, and when Earth was distracted by their argument, Azrael snatched the handful of dust.

God then appointed Azrael as the Angel of Death.

"But everyone will hate and fear me," said Azrael.

"I will create fevers and sicknesses," God replied, "and weapons of war. They will bear the blame, not you."

Inspired by: The English prose version of Rumi in More Tales from the Masnavi by A. J. Arberry.
Notes: This is story 145 in the book.

Inspired by: The English prose version of Rumi in Tales from the Masnavi by A. J. Arberry.
Notes: This is story 72 in the book. Different versions in the Muslim tradition give different names to Noah's recalcitrant son. Rumi tells the story about Canaan.

(Miniature from Hafiz-i Abru’s Majma al-tawarikh)

~ 3. The Child in the Shipwreck ~

Laura Gibbs · 3. The Child in the Shipwreck

"Why are you grieving?" God asked Azrael, Angel of Death.

"Because of the child from the shipwreck," said Azrael. "Remember? I saw a mother and child clinging to a plank. You let me save the mother, but not the child. I'm still grieving."

"Hear what happened next," God replied. "I told the waves to bear the child to an island. A leopardess nursed him. The fairies taught him. But that blessed child grew up to become Nimrod, an unbeliever who curses my name and persecutes my prophet Abraham, casting him into the fire. That's the child for whom you grieve!"

Inspired by: The English prose version of Rumi in More Tales from the Masnavi by A. J. Arberry.
Notes: This is story 199 in the book. For more about Azrael and about Nimrod, see Wikipedia.

~ 4. Abraham in the Fire ~

Laura Gibbs · 4. Abraham in the Fire

There is a living fire that gives life, and a death-dealing fire that brings fear. All believers should burn with the living fire as Abraham did, the son of Azar.

Azar was a maker of idols, but Abraham smashed the idols of the temple with an ax. Abraham spared only the largest idol, putting the ax in the idol's hands.

"Who smashed the idols?" shouted the people.

"Just ask the idol with the ax in its hands!" Abraham replied.

Enraged, King Nimrod threw Abraham into the fire, but with God's help, Abraham did not die in the fire: Abraham lived.

Inspired by: Under the Sufi's Cloak: Stories of Abu Said and His Mystical Teaching by Mohammad Ali Jamnia and Mojdeh Bayat
Notes: This story is on p. 28 of the book. You can read more about Nimrod and Ibrahim (Abraham) at Wikipedia.

(Ibrahim in the fire)

~ 5. The Sound of Joseph's Cup ~

Laura Gibbs · 5. The Sound of Joseph's Cup

During a famine, Joseph's brothers came to Egypt for relief.

Joseph received them, his face covered with a veil.

As they spoke, Joseph kept striking a cup which resounded mournfully.

Finally, Joseph's brothers could bear it no longer. "What is the meaning of this mournful sound?" they asked.

Joseph struck the cup. "The cup says you had a brother named Joseph."

Again. "It says you threw Joseph into a well."

Again. "You sold him into slavery."

Again. "You told your father his son was dead."

Joseph's brothers all wept and were afraid.

Now they were the ones in the well.

Inspired by: The Conference of the Birds by Farid Ud-Din Attar, translated by S. C. Nott
Notes: This is in section 31: Joseph and his Brethren.

~ 6. Pharaoh and the Newborns ~

Laura Gibbs · 6. Pharaoh and the Newborns

Pharaoh's astrologers predicted the night of Moses's conception, and nine months later, Pharaoh summoned the Israelite mothers and their newborns.

"Bring your babes," Pharaoh proclaimed, "and I will give you golden gifts."

Then, when the women came, Pharaoh's soldiers executed every male child.

Moses's mother was more cautious. She didn't go to Pharaoh, and when soldiers came looking for her, she hid Moses in the oven.

"God protect him!" she prayed as she threw Moses into the fire.

The soldiers came, and they did not find the child.

By God's grace, Moses survived the fire: it did not burn him.

Inspired by: The English prose version of Rumi in Tales from the Masnavi by A. J. Arberry.
Notes: This is story 68 in the book. You can read more about the Islamic legends of Moses at Wikipedia.

~ 7. Moses and Khidr ~

Laura Gibbs · 7. Moses and Khidr

Moses was traveling with Khidr, his teacher.

"Obey," Khidr told Moses, "and be silent."

They saw a child drowning in a river. "Save him!" shouted Moses.

"Be silent," Khidr said, "and obey."

They saw a ship sinking in a lake. "Save them!" shouted Moses.

"You are not being silent," said Khidr. "You are not obeying."

Only later did Khidr explain. "The boy who drowned would have led the world into cataclysmic war if he had lived. The boat was full of pirates who were ready to attack a ship of pilgrims. God is behind it all; be silent, and obey."

Inspired by: Big Tales by Hazrat Inayat Khan, compiled and edited by Mansur Johnson. the Hazrat Inayat Khan Study Database.
Notes: This is a story in Part 1 of the book: Khidr, the Murshid of Moses. You can find out more about al-Khidr at Wikipedia. This story is inspired by a famous episode of the Quran: Moses and Khidr.

~ 8. The Language of Animals ~

Laura Gibbs · 8. The Language of Animals

A man said to Moses, "Teach me the language of animals!"

"You'll regret it," Moses warned him, but the man insisted.

So Moses taught him.

The man then understood what the animals said.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo! Horse will die today!" shouted the rooster.

So the man sold his horse.

The next morning: "Cock-a-doodle-doo! Slave will die today."

So the man sold his slave.

The next morning, the man was shocked to hear: "Cock-a-doodle-doo! Master will die today."

The man ran to Moses for help. "Save me from this doom!"

"Go sell yourself if you can," said Moses. "There's nothing I can do."

Inspired by: The English prose version of Rumi in Tales from the Masnavi by A. J. Arberry.
Notes: This is story 89 in the book. In the original story, the rooster's words are in a dialogue with the dog: the two animals are arguing about food, so each time the rooster makes the prediction it is in the context of the dog getting something good to eat, and the dog gets angrier and angrier. I had to leave out one of the predictions; in Rumi's story, it goes horse-mule-slave-master.

~ 9. Moses and the Bearded Dervish ~

Laura Gibbs · 9. Moses and the Bearded Dervish

A dervish begged Moses for help. "Please ask God why I can't make spiritual progress despite my endless prayers and deep devotion."

When Moses asked God, God explained, "That dervish is obsessed with his beautiful bushy beard. He even interrupts his prayers to comb his beard. His beard obsession is blocking his progress."

Moses told the dervish what God said, and the dervish immediately began tearing out his beard, wailing.

The angel Gabriel then appeared to Moses. "Look at that poor dervish!" Gabriel scoffed. "While tearing out his beard, he's just as obsessed with it now as he was before."

Inspired by: The Conference of the Birds by Farid Ud-Din Attar, translated by S. C. Nott
Notes: This is in section 34: A Dervish Who Possessed a Beautiful Beard.

~ 10. Moses and the Shepherd ~

Laura Gibbs · 10. Moses and the Shepherd

Moses overheard a shepherd in the desert. "I will darn your socks!" said the shepherd. "I will kiss your hands and rub your feet! I will comb your hair and remove all the lice!"

"Surely you're not speaking to me," Moses called out. "Who are you talking to?"

"To the Creator! God! My beloved!" replied the shepherd.

"You can't talk to God like that," said Moses indignantly.

Ashamed, the faithful shepherd began to weep.

Then God rebuked Moses. "How dare you scoff at this shepherd's devotion? I hear the heart, not the words. Let love's fire burn in every heart!"

Inspired by: The English prose version of Rumi in Tales from the Masnavi by A. J. Arberry.
Notes: This is story 40 in the book.

11. God Questions Moses

Laura Gibbs · 11. God Questions Moses

"Moses!" God called. "Moses! Why didn't you visit me when I was sick?"

"I don't understand," Moses replied. "You are All-Powerful and All-Perfect! How could you be sick?"

But God didn't answer Moses's question. Instead, God said, "When I was sick, why didn't you ask after me?"

"God, I still don't understand," replied Moses. "How could you be sick?"

"When my servant is sick, then I am sick," God replied. "Why didn't you visit me when I was sick?"

Moses wept and said, "O God, now I understand. I will ask after your servants and visit them in their sickness."

Inspired by: The English prose version of Rumi in Tales from the Masnavi by A. J. Arberry.
Notes: This is story 45 in the book.

12. Moses Questions God

Laura Gibbs · 12. Moses Questions God

Moses once asked God, "Why do you destroy the life you have brought forth?"

God did not answer the question but only said, "Go sow a field with seed, and then you will know."

Moses sowed, the crop grew, and the ears of wheat waved in the wind. Moses took a sickle and began the harvest.

Then God's voice rang out. "Why do you destroy the life you have brought forth?"

"Because I must separate the straw and grain on the threshing floor," Moses replied.

"If you understand how to do that," replied God, "then know that I do likewise."

Inspired by: The English prose version of Rumi in More Tales from the Masnavi by A. J. Arberry.
Notes: This is story 125 in the book.

13. Moses Seeks Advice from Iblis

Laura Gibbs · 13. Moses Seeks Advice from Iblis

"Moses!" said God. "I see that you are troubled. Go ask Iblis for advice."

So Moses went to see Iblis, who had once been a heavenly angel but who had rebelled and been cast out.

"God sent me to you for advice," Moses said to Iblis.

"My advice is simple," replied Iblis. "Never say "I" about anything. Set aside all ego. That way you won't become like me. Your vanity and self-pride, your resentment, your envy and your anger are like dragons. Yet instead of subduing them, you pet them and cherish them, and you do so at your peril."

Inspired by: The Conference of the Birds by Farid Ud-Din Attar, translated by S. C. Nott
Notes: This is in section 34: God Speaks to Moses. You can read more about Iblis at Wikipedia. In the original, the narrator is the one who speaks of dragons, but I attributed those words to Iblis.

14. Azrael and King Solomon

Laura Gibbs · 14. Azrael and King Solomon

"Save me, King!" shouted Solomon's courtier. "The angel of death looked at me angrily in the marketplace!"

"I cannot save you from Azrael," Solomon replied.

"Command the winds to transport me to India; that way I'll escape."

Solomon commanded the winds; whoooosh... the winds carried the man to India.

The next day, Azrael visited Solomon's court.

"Why did you look upon my courtier so angrily that he fled to India?" Solomon asked.

"I wasn't angry at him," Azrael replied. "I was simply astonished to see him there because I knew he was fated to die later that day in India."

Inspired by: The English prose version of Rumi in Tales from the Masnavi by A. J. Arberry, 6.
Notes: See Wikipedia for more about King Solomon in folklore and also about Azrael, the angel of death.

Here is a manuscript illustration of King Solomon attributed to Mirza Ghulam (Walters Art Museum); Solomon is talking to the hoopoe bird, who is part of another legend about Solomon (hoopoe legends here).

15. The Gnat and King Solomon

Laura Gibbs · 15. The Gnat and King Solomon

A gnat came to King Solomon's court with a complaint.

"We gnats beg you for protection from the wind!" shouted the gnat. "He blows us wherever he wants; we are powerless under his sway."

"Let us hear what the wind says about this," said King Solomon. "Wind, I summon you here to face your accuser!"

The wind rushed in, and the gnat flew away.

"Where are you going?" shouted Solomon. "The accused must confront his accuser!"

"The wind is my doom!" the gnat's voice cried faintly from far away. "I cannot breathe when he blows: in his presence, I'm nothing."

Inspired by: The English prose version of Rumi in Tales from the Masnavi by A. J. Arberry.
Notes: This is story 100 in the book.

16. Jesus and the Jug of Water

Laura Gibbs · 16. Jesus and the Jug of Water

Jesus and his companion drank from a stream.

"How sweet this water is!" Jesus said.

They filled a jug with water from the stream and continued their journey.

When Jesus felt thirsty, he drank from the jug but immediately spat it out. "I don't understand!" he exclaimed. "It's the same water. Why does it taste bitter?"

The jug itself answered Jesus. "I'm old as earth, made and remade many times, taking many forms; this time my form is that of a jug. I always carry the bitterness of death, and it is death's bitterness you just tasted in my water."

Inspired by: The Conference of the Birds by Farid Ud-Din Attar, translated by S. C. Nott
Notes: This is in section 26: Jesus and the Pitcher of Water.

17. Jesus and the Name of God

Laura Gibbs · 17. Jesus and the Name of God

A fool kept begging Jesus for the secret of resurrection. "Teach me the name of God that restores the dead to life!"

But Jesus refused.

"Look! Some bones!" the fool exclaimed. "You can recite the secret name and bring the bones to life."

Jesus prayed, and God brought the bones back to life.

They were a lion's bones, and the raging lion tore the fool to pieces.

"Why don't you eat him?" Jesus asked the lion.

"I ate all I needed in life," said the lion. "I killed this fool not for food, but so others can see and learn."

Inspired by: The English prose version of Rumi in Tales from the Masnavi by A. J. Arberry.
Notes: This is story 23 in the book.

18. Jesus and the Fool

Laura Gibbs · 18. Jesus and the Fool

A fool chased Jesus through the wilderness; Jesus fled as though from a lion.

"Why are you fleeing?" shouted the fool.

"I'm fleeing from you, fool!"

"But aren't you Jesus who heals the deaf and the blind?"

"Yes."

"Who brings life to birds made of clay?"

"Yes."

"Then why are you afraid of me?" asked the fool.

"I can heal the sick and I can quicken lifeless matter, but there is nothing I can do for the fools. I have tried to save them, but a fool's heart is hard; it is the sand in which no green can grow."

Inspired by: The English prose version of Rumi in Tales from the Masnavi by A. J. Arberry.
Notes: This is story 83 in the book. The story of Jesus and the clay birds is in the Koran, Sura 5 verse 110.

19. Jesus Went Walking

Laura Gibbs · 19. Jesus Went Walking

The great teacher Al-Ghazali told this story about Jesus.

Jesus went walking along the road and saw a group of richly dressed people who all looked very sad.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"We are sorrowing because of our fear of Hell," they replied.

Jesus continued walking and saw some more sad-looking people.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"We are anxious that we will not attain Paradise," they replied.

Jesus continued and met a third group of people. Their clothes were humble, but their faces shone with joy.

"Rejoice!" they said. "We have seen the Truth!"

And Jesus rejoiced with those people.

Inspired by: The Way of the Sufi by Idries Shah, free to read online at the Idries Shah Foundation.
Notes: This is on p. 59 in the book. You can read about Al-Ghazali and Islamic traditions about Isa-ibn-Maryan (Jesus) at Wikipedia.

20. The Dreams of the Three Travelers

Laura Gibbs · 20. The Dreams of the Three Travelers

Three men of different faiths traveled together: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim. They begged for food and shared what they received.

One day they received four pieces of halvah.

Each ate one, and one piece was left.

They decided that whoever had the best dream would eat the last piece, and at dawn they reported their dreams.

"Moses led me up Mount Sinai, where fiery angels danced."

"The Messiah led me through the gates of the heavenly city."

"Muhammad came to me and said, 'Moses took the one, and Jesus the other; you can eat the halvah now.' So I did."

Inspired by: The English prose version of Rumi in More Tales from the Masnavi by A. J. Arberry.
Notes: This is story 188 in the book. This Middle Eastern story also became popular in the later European tradition: The Three Travelers. For more about halvah, see Wikipedia.