Tiny Tales: Traditional Stories in 100 Words: Islam: Rumi

Showing posts with label Islam: Rumi. 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.

~ 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.

~ 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.

~ 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.

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.

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.

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.

23. The Dervish and the Ship's Captain

Laura Gibbs · 23. The Dervish and the Ship's Captain

A dervish was crossing the sea on a ship.

"Someone has stolen my bag of gold!" shrieked one of the ship's passengers, and the captain ordered a search of everyone on board.

Suspicion soon fell on the dervish. "Strip off your clothes!" said the captain.

But the dervish said, "O God, do thy will!"

And from the sea thousands of fishes arose, each bearing a priceless pearl in its mouth.

The dervish grabbed a handful of pearls, cast them on the ship's deck, and then rose up into the air. "Keep your ship!" he proclaimed. "I will go with God!"

Inspired by: The English prose version of Rumi in Tales from the Masnavi by A. J. Arberry.
Notes: This is story 62 in the book. Compare the story of the fish and the golden needles: Ibrahim ibn-Adham and the Needle.

24. The Man of Baghdad's Treasure

Laura Gibbs · 24. The Man of Baghdad's Treasure

A man of Baghdad heard a voice in a dream. "Go to Cairo to find the treasure!"

He spent every penny on the journey.

Then, with no money for a room, he wandered Cairo's streets.

A patrolman accosted him, and he explained about the dream that brought him to Cairo.

The patrolman laughed. "You can't put stock in dreams!" he said. "I often have a dream about Baghdad where I see treasure buried under a house..."

As the patrolman described the dream, the man of Baghdad recognized his own house!

He hurried back to Baghdad and found the treasure there.

Inspired by: The English prose version of Rumi in More Tales from the Masnavi by A. J. Arberry.
Notes: This is story 197 in the book.

25. The Haunted Mosque

Laura Gibbs · 25. The Haunted Mosque

The town's mosque was haunted. Anyone seeking shelter there died before dawn.

The townspeople put up a sign: DANGER!

A wandering dervish arrived. "I'll sleep in the mosque," he declared. "I've died in the flames of love already; I fear nothing."

In the night, he heard a dreadful voice.

"Be afraid!" said the voice.

"I fear not!" he replied.

Five times the voice spoke; five times the dervish replied.

The fifth time, gold rained down, filling the mosque.

The dervish worked until dawn hauling out the gold.

"Fear not," said the dervish, and he gave the gold to the townspeople.

Inspired by: The English prose version of Rumi in Tales from the Masnavi by A. J. Arberry.
Notes: This is story 98 in the book.

33. Majnun and Layla's Beauty

Laura Gibbs · 33. Majnun and Layla's Beauty

When the people heard Majnun raving about Layla's beauty, they laughed.

"She's attractive, to be sure," they said, "but there are thousands of ravishing women in the city who are far more beautiful than she is."

"You understand nothing," Majnun replied. "The outward form is just the pitcher. God has poured wine for me from that pitcher, and I am drunk on her beauty. For you, he pours forth nothing but vinegar. God can pour forth honey or poison from the same pitcher. You can see the pitcher from the outside, but you do not know what is hidden inside."

Inspired by: The English prose version of Rumi in More Tales from the Masnavi by A. J. Arberry.
Notes: This is story 158 in the book.

51. The King Enslaved

Laura Gibbs · 51. The King Enslaved

A king wished to honor a dervish.

"I'll give you a gift," said the king. "Tell me what you want!"

The dervish just laughed. "A slave doesn't give gifts to his master; the slave's life is already his."

This made the king angry. "I'm the king!" he shouted.

"You may be the king," replied the dervish, "but you are also the slave of my slaves, which makes me your master."

The king stared at him in bewilderment.

"I've mastered both anger and lust, making them my slaves," the dervish explained, "while you, though a king, are enslaved to them both."

Inspired by: The English prose version of Rumi in Tales from the Masnavi by A. J. Arberry.
Notes: This is told as an aside in story 37 of the book, which is about Luqman.

55. The Teacher in the Tavern

Laura Gibbs · 55. The Teacher in the Tavern

A man saw a famous teacher enter a tavern. "That teacher is a Muhammad by day but an Abu Lahab by night!" he said in disgust.

"You're wrong," said one of the teacher's disciples. "Come see."

The man entered the tavern. "I see a goblet brimming with Satan's piss in his hand!" he shouted.

"But you are mistaken, good man," said the teacher calmly.

He gave the cup to the man, who saw it was full of honey.

Then the teacher said, "Bring me some wine!"

But all the wine in every wine-jar in the tavern had turned to honey.

Inspired by: The English prose version of Rumi in Tales from the Masnavi by A. J. Arberry.
Notes: This is story 60 in the book. You can read about Muhammad and about Abu Lahab, his uncle, at Wikipedia.

56. The Wisest Man in the City

Laura Gibbs · 56. The Wisest Man in the City

A farmer came to the city seeking advice. "I'm looking for the wisest man to advise me!" he said at the city gate.

The guard pointed to a disheveled old man who was playing marbles with some street-urchins. "You might give him a try."

The farmer approached the strange-looking man and, much to his surprise, he received very good advice.

"Thank you!" said the farmer. "But I don't understand: with all your wisdom, why are you playing marbles, cavorting with the children like this?"

"They wanted to make me mayor," the man explained. "Playing the fool was how I escaped!"

Inspired by: The English prose version of Rumi in Tales from the Masnavi by A. J. Arberry.
Notes: This is story 49 in the book. In the original story the man is asking for advice about what sort of woman would make the best wife, and the "madman" is riding on a pretend hobby-horse; it was quicker and easier just to say he was playing marbles with the children.