Download PDF: [S] Water of the Nile was Sweeter

It is mentioned that once someone was walking in the wild when he noticed a very poor person walking in front of him. The person only had two pieces of cloth covering him. He had no utensils with him and did not appear to have any food also. This person then thought that if this poor was carrying a bowl, at least he would be able to fetch some water. However, be that as it was, he decided to follow the poor person.

 

As they walked further, the heat was quite intense. This person turned to the old person and said to him, “The heat is quite intense and you are walking bare-headed in this weather. What harm will it cause to you if you place the shawl over your head?”

 

The poor acted as if he did not hear these words of advice and continued walking. Even the ground was unbearable due to the intense heat. He then said to the person, “Take these shoes of mine and wear it for a few minutes and I will wear it for a few minutes. At least in this way, our feet would be burnt.”

 

By now the old person was fed up with the younger man’s consistent talking. He turned and looked at him and said. “You speak highly unnecessary things all the time. Have you not heard the Hadith Shareef which says that, ‘Among the good qualities of a person’s Islam (within) him is that he refrains from useless speech.’”

 

The young man replied that he had heard this Hadith Shareef.

 

Both of them remained silent and continued walking. They then came near the ocean and continued to walk on the shore line. The old person then asked the young man whether he was thirsty.

 

The young man replied that he was indeed very thirsty but also knew that the old person could do nothing about it. However, the old person took the water bottle of the young man and filled it with sea water and told the young man to drink. It is mentioned that when the young man drank the water, it was sweeter than the waters of the River Nile and much cleaner. The young man later mentions that he wanted to continue on the journey with this old person but was unsuccessful. As for the balance of the water, whenever he sprinkled this over a sick person, the person was cured. (Roudur Riyaheen)