Sunday, October 3, 2010

To the Baker You Go

A Shaikh sent his disciple to a baker. The man who makes Indian bread. The disciple saw that the baker has wrapped a cloth over his face to escape from the smoke. What can I learn from such a non-descriptive man, the disciple thought. He returned back. The Shaikh sent him again to the baker next day. The baker asked as to why he had returned yesterday without even greetings. "I do  not know what can I learn from you", the young man replied. The baker took his dirty cloth that was wrapped around his head for protection from smoke and made a ball of it. He took a similar cloth from the young man and wrapped the ball in the cloth given by the young man. And, low and behold, he threw it in the tan-door. After few moments the baker brought out the ball from the tan-door. The cloth belonging to the young man was shining as if cleaned by a washer man. Inside it was baker's cloth. It had burned completely.

(People of Allah are hidden. It takes some effort to recognize them.)

(Sitting (majlis) on Saturday, October 2, 2010)