There was a princess.

In the forests of Egypt, a prince used to graze a few goats and lived on the milk obtained from them and the fruits of the forest.

Tuesday, 6 October 2015

Maryam Fatima

In the forests of Egypt, there lived a prince who grazed a few goats and survived on their milk and the fruits of the forest. He was a prince, yet he had neither royal pride nor pomp and splendor. He lived like an ordinary human being. He ate simple food and spent most of his time serving his people and remembering God.

His good character was well known throughout the entire kingdom. He had inherited these qualities from his kind-hearted father. One day, as usual, after listening to the problems of his people, the prince went into the forest. Free from worldly concerns, he was absorbed in the remembrance of God when he saw a poor woodcutter cutting wood, with his donkey beside him. The woodcutter was talking to the donkey, even though he knew that the donkey could neither hear nor understand him, and then he began to cry bitterly.

The prince was greatly surprised to see that every day the woodcutter cut wood, spoke to his donkey, and then burst into tears. This continued for several days. When the kind-hearted prince could no longer bear to see him crying and failed to solve this mystery, he stepped out from behind a tree and asked the woodcutter, “O woodcutter, why do you cry so bitterly like this?”

Finding a sympathetic person before him, the poor old man began to cry even more intensely and, sobbing, started to narrate his misfortune.

“I had a son whom God had blessed with immense wealth. He enjoyed every luxury, but the pride of wealth had taken over him so completely that he could see nothing beyond his riches. He would push away his poor relatives and humiliate them. Then the day of his downfall came.

A distant female relative of mine came to our house from another state as a beggar, thinking that in difficult times one turns to one’s own people. She was very poor, and her daughter’s wedding was near, but no arrangements could be made. She needed some money. She was a pious woman who spent most of her time in worship. But my son had become blind with the intoxication of wealth and threw her out of the house.

That was the moment when our destruction began. That very night, a red storm blew, lightning struck, and heavy rain fell. My son and I were sleeping peacefully on our soft beds, while that woman cried all night at our door. In the severe storm and the darkness of the night, it was impossible for her to return to the other state. She faced the storm all night, yet my son felt no mercy.

When I woke up in the morning, disaster fell upon me. My son had turned into a donkey. All the household belongings had been burnt to ashes by lightning. Everything was destroyed. In all this, my fault is that I did not stop my son from pride and arrogance. I did not prevent him from taking steps toward evil.

Now this is our condition: I cut wood in the forest and load it onto my own son and take it to sell. That is how both of us survive.”

Hearing this, the prince’s eyes filled with tears. He addressed the woodcutter, “O old man! You committed great injustice. Indeed, remaining silent in the face of evil and not stopping it is equal to supporting it. You did not stop your son from wrongdoing. I feel sorrow for your condition. Now I wander in search of that poor relative. Her search makes me weep. Perhaps she may help me, perhaps I may find her and ask her forgiveness. Maybe my sins can be atoned for—but alas, I cannot find her anywhere.”

Saying this, the woodcutter began to cry again. The prince wiped his tears and said, “Ask forgiveness from God for your sins. He is Most Merciful. If He forgives you, He will surely create a way to lead you to that woman. He is very Kind and does not oppress His servants.”

At once, the old woodcutter fell into prostration and, sobbing, begged forgiveness for his sins.

Suddenly, the sound of a horse’s hooves was heard from a distance. A beautiful princess was riding a white, graceful horse. When she came closer, she addressed the prince, “O Prince, what is this matter?” The prince narrated the old man’s story to the princess.

Tears flowed from the princess’s eyes. She dismounted from the horse and said to the woodcutter, “I am that very girl whose mother came to your door as a beggar. But, unfortunate man, your arrogant son took the life of that pious woman. She stood all night at your door in heavy rain, facing the storm, hoping that mercy would awaken in you. At last, her frail body could not endure the cold raindrops, and she passed away.

When morning came, the kind-hearted king was on his routine patrol and passed by that place. When he brought my mother home, and I saw her lifeless body, the ground slipped from beneath my feet. I had no support left. Seeing all this, the king was deeply troubled. Eventually, he decided to take me with him. I lived in his palace for some time, and finding me to be a virtuous girl, he married me to his son. Perhaps this was the result of my mother’s prayers—she sacrificed her life for me, and God lifted this poor girl from the dust to the throne and married me to this noble prince who now stands before you. And because of your arrogant son’s deeds, you were cast down from the heights to the ground.”

Witnessing God’s power, the woodcutter sank into the ground with shame and, crying bitterly, begged the princess for forgiveness. The princess was very kind-hearted. Her heart softened at the woodcutter’s tears, and she forgave him.

By God’s will, at that very moment, the boy returned to his original human form. He fell into prostration before God and also begged forgiveness from the princess. She forgave him as well. Finally, both father and son set off toward their humble hut.